New England Clam Chowder

Bev B.

(from Anthony's Pier 4, Boston Mass)

1/2 lb salt pork
3 to 4 potatoes
1/2 C clam juice
3 C minced clams with juice
1 tsp salt
 1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco
2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 TBS butter
1/2 C flour
2 1/2 C whole milk
2 1/2 C light cream


Cut the salt pork into small cubes and cook over moderate heat until the cubes are crisp.  Drain off the fat and reserve.


Peel and dice the potatoes.  Rinse in cold water.  Drain well.   Put the potatoes in a heavy pot or kettle.  Add the clam juice, minced clams, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and chicken base.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.  If moisture evaporates, add more clam juice. 

Saute the onions in the pork fat just until tender, then add onions and pork fat to the potato-clam mixture.  Melt the butter and stir the flour to make a paste.  Add half of this to the potatoes and clams and boil hard for 10 minutes.  If the mixture seems too thin, add more of the butter-flour paste. 

Scald the milk and cream but do not let it boil.  Add to the clam mixture.  Keep on low heat for about 30 minutes.  The mixture will thicken gradually.


Makes 8 1-cup servings.