Manhattan Clam Chowder is perfect for tomato, potato and bacon lovers. Use canned and fresh clams in this classic Manhattan clam chowder recipe.
According to food historian and blogger Janet Clarkson, the very first printed recipe for chowder appeared in the Boston Evening Post in 1751. Written as a poem, it described a stew with onions, pork, fish, herbs, and biscuits (hardtack, I think). ).
Manhattan Clam Chowder vs. New England Chowder
Over the years, “chowdah” in New England evolved into a milk-based stew, and in the late 18th century the first tomato-based chowders appeared on the menu at Delmonico’s in New York, perhaps influenced by Portuguese immigrants who often paired mussels with them pork and tomato sauce.
If you’re used to thick (or thin) creamy white clam chowder with crackers, this Manhattan clam chowder is a different beast altogether. Not even remotely like the New England favorite.
How to customize this clam chowder recipe
But it’s good in its own right, especially if you love tomatoes and mussels. You can make it as broth or thick as you like. In our case, we take a slight shortcut with the recipe by using canned clams for much of the clam component of the soup.
We live here in California and don’t have as easy (or cheap) access to quahogs or chowder as we do on the east coast.
I originally had this soup in mind for Lent and then remembered that it starts with bacon. It would still be an excellent soup for a Lent, just omit the bacon and add more olive oil to start.
Tips on buying seashells
Fresh mussels: Buy the freshest live mussels you can find and make sure the shells are tightly sealed. For this Manhattan chowder recipe, you need shellfish. Any of these varieties will do.
- Quahogs (aka Chowderhogs)
- cherry stone
- top neck
- small neck
- countneck
- manila
canned clams: Purchase any brand of canned clams for this recipe, but make sure you don’t accidentally use smoked clams.
CONTINUE READING:
How to clean and prepare fresh mussels
To rid clams of sand and dirt, soak them in a bowl of cool, salted water for 30 minutes. Cook them right away or store them in a bowl covered with a damp towel and refrigerate for no more than 24 hours.
When preparing mussels, tap all the opened mussels on the counter. If they close, they are safe to eat. If not, throw them away. Also, throw any broken shells.
CONTINUE READING:
How to make this with just canned clams
If you don’t have access to fresh clams, use any canned clams in this soup. Do not increase the number of canned clams. Note that the flavor may change a bit as the fresh mussels in their shells add extra flavor.
More Seafood Stew Recipes You’ll Love
- Cioppino
- Bouillabaisse
- Provencal cream of fish soup
- Brothy mussels with chorizo, tomatoes and grilled bread
- oyster stew
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Manhattan clam chowder
This recipe calls for both fresh and canned clams. If you have plenty of quahog chowders, feel free to use them in place of the canned clams called for in this recipe—in addition to the other fresh clams in the ingredients.
To replace canned clams with fresh quahogs, scrub and clean a dozen or more quahogs. Place the mussels in a small saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Boil water. Cover the pot and steam the clams until fully open, about 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from stove. Remove the mussels from the pot and set aside. Strain the steaming liquid from the mussels through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to catch any grits and reserve the liquid. Remove the clams from the shell and chop. Use these chopped clams instead of the canned clams in the recipe. Use the steaming liquid in place of the clam broth.
ingredients
-
2 slices bacon (may be substituted with 2 more tablespoons extra virgin olive oil)
-
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
-
2 carrots, peeled and cut
-
2 ribs Celery, chopped
-
1 Onion, chopped
-
1 large clove garlicchopped
-
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
-
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
-
2 bay leaves
-
1 1/2 cups canned tomato juicetomato passata or chopped tomatoes
-
1 (14 ounce) can clam broth or juice (see recipe note)
-
2 (10-ounce) cans baby shellsJuice reserved (see recipe note)
-
1 lb waxy potatoespeeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
-
above 12 small live musselslike littlenecks or manila clams
-
Tabasco or something else hot saucetaste
-
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, taste
method
-
Cook bacon:
Slowly cook the bacon with the olive oil over medium-high heat until the bacon is crisp and the fat has run out. Remove, chop and set aside.
-
Saute the carrots, celery, onion and garlic:
Increase the heat to medium-high and sauté the carrots, celery, and onion until tender and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Do not fry the vegetables. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Put the chopped bacon back into the pot.
-
Add the herbs and liquids, then add the potatoes:
Add the thyme, celery seeds, bay leaves, tomato juice, clam broth, and canned clam juice and stir. Add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently until potatoes are done, about 30 to 40 minutes.
-
Add the mussels:
When the potatoes are tender, add the canned clams and the live clams in their shells, cover the pot and simmer until the live clams open, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add hot sauce, salt and black pepper to taste.
Remove bay leaves and serve, adding one or two inshell mussels to each serving bowl.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 230 | calories |
| 5g | Fat |
| 21g | carbohydrates |
| 25g | protein |
