Californian Clam Chowder

Californian Clam Chowder

A clear-broth cousin to the creamier New England version, Californian clam chowder lets briny clams, sweet onions and tender potatoes shine, finished with a splash of white wine and served with crusty bread.

Prep

15 min

Cook

30 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) fresh littleneck or Manila clams, scrubbed; discard any open ones that don't close when tapped
• •200 g (7 oz) bacon, diced, or pancetta
• •1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• •2 stalks celery, finely diced
• •2 cloves garlic, minced
• •500 g (1.1 lb) Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 cm (½ in) cubes
• •125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• •500 ml (2 cups) clam juice, from bottled, plus the strained cooking liquor from the clams
• •1 piece bay leaf
• •2 sprigs fresh thyme
• •2 g (½ tsp) salt, plus more to taste
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •15 g (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter
• •30 g (¼ cup) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• •1 loaf crusty sourdough bread, sliced, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Place the scrubbed clams in a large pot with the white wine and 250 ml (1 cup) of water. Cover and steam over high heat for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pot once, until the clams just open. Discard any that stay closed. Lift the clams out, reserving the liquid, and pull the meat from the shells, chopping any large pieces. Strain the reserved cooking liquid through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth.
2. 2 In a heavy soup pot, cook the diced bacon over medium heat for 5–6 minutes until the fat renders and the bacon is lightly crisp. Add the onion and celery and cook 6–8 minutes until softened and translucent, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. 3 Add the potatoes, the strained clam cooking liquid, the bottled clam juice, the bay leaf and the thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 12–15 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife.
4. 4 Stir in the chopped clam meat and the butter and simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat through. Do not boil vigorously once the clams are added or they will turn rubbery. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
5. 5 Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Ladle the chowder into warm bowls, scatter the parsley over the top, and serve immediately with thick slices of sourdough bread for dunking.