Making NE clam chowder for the first time today. (UPDATED)

[hippywife]

Last edited Sat Feb 19, 2022, 08:11 PM - Edit history (4)

Looked at a bunch of different recipes, all very similar. Going with the one below so I can do it in the slow cooker. Will be adding a bottle of clam juice for half of the water and chicken broth from base for the other half. Bacon's frying now, then I'll put it all together.

https://dinnerthendessert.com/slow-cooker-clam-chowder/#wprm-recipe-container-34125


ETA: Soup came out really good according to husband. I think it's still a little on the thin side, but he didn't think it was overly so.

ETA2: He's having seconds even tho he also had a baked sweet potato with the first bowl.

[lillypaddle]

1. Sounds and looks good!

Let us know how it turns out.

ETA: It's so much fun to try something new!

[hippywife]

7. I will definitely report back. nt

[Kali]

2. I don't care for soups thickened with cornstarch

rather do it with flour and butter, or just use cream. with potato soup just mash some of the potatoes and use cream.

funny, just made bacon potato soup the other day and told my son if he wanted clam chowder to throw a can of clams in there. (I don't care for it, myself but I love potato soup with bacon or ham)

[hippywife]

8. I've never had an issue with it.

I have mashed some of the potatoes in potato based soups before, but still didn't have enough body for me without a little cornstarch slurry.

Truthfully, if I had to try to make up this soup off the top of my head, I would not have thought of bacon. Just never considered it.

Anyway, the recipe called for 1/2 a pound, 1/4 of that to go into the soup and the rest reserved to top the soup. Because I never knew it was started with bacon, and topping it with bacon wouldn't have even occurred to me, I only used 4 good sized slices (about 1/4 lb.) and put it all in with 3 T. of the grease for added flavor.

[Kali]

13. oh yes, keeping the bacon grease for flavor!

[hippywife]

14. I keep a small can

in my fridge to save it whenever I fry bacon.

[Nanuke]

3. Yum!

Looks like a good recipe. I hadn’t thought of thyme. I use bay leaf. Next time I will try thyme.

[CentralMass]

5. Thyme is on your side.

[hippywife]

9. I don't really care much for either of them.

I actually hate bay leaf. Husband likes it, but since I do the cooking, I don't add it, and only use the teeniest bit of dried thyme. It can be really overpowering to me.

[FoxNewsSucks]

4. That does look good,

and pretty simple. I love having something good in the crockpot all day.

[hippywife]

10. The slow cooker makes life so much easier...

and less expensive than leaving something on the stove top or in the oven for a long time since we have to use propane.

[PJMcK]

6. Great choice for today

Comfort food on a Saturday in the Winter. Good luck and good eating!

Once, when we were on Ocracoke Island in the OBX, my wife made a batch of the local clam chowder. It has a clear broth unlike NE or Manhattan chowders. She brought some over to our neighbor, an elderly lady who has lived there her whole life. She tasted a spoonful and in her local brogue said, “It’ll do.” High praise, indeed!

[hippywife]

11. It is comforting.

Last edited Sat Feb 19, 2022, 11:20 PM - Edit history (1)

I've been making some kind of soup every other week since it got cold. Next week is his birthday, so making his favorite: wedding soup.

[Duncanpup]

12. Delicious enjoy hippywife

[hippywife]

15. Thanks, Duncanpup! nt

[Callalily]

16. That looks delicious!

I LOVE clam chowder.

[hippywife]

17. It turned out really well.

I love it, too, but for some reason never thought to make it before. Next time I will get whole clams and chop them myself. I bought chopped ones and they were more like shredded. The only disappointing part of the whole thing.

[Demsrule86]

19. I highly reccomend getting fresh clams as you know if there is a bad one...the clam won't open...I

NE Chowder quite often but became miserably sick from the clams one time...you can also us fish, shrimp, scallops,lobster..anything you like in the chowder too...sometimes I even add fresh corn in the summer.

[Demsrule86]

18. You can wisk in a little flour when soup is cool or mashed potatoes to thicken it...