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Chesapeake-Style Clam Chowder
A cream- or broth-based chowder using chopped hard clams — this project does not assert a specific 'New England vs. Manhattan vs. Chesapeake' style claim beyond describing a real, common regional approach.
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Soup / ChowderChoppedBeginner-friendlyEditorially Adapted — Not Tested
Unverified
Drawn from a named source but not independently confirmed. Double-check before relying on it.
Standard chowder technique, widely corroborated across many independent regional sources — this project's own synthesis, not tested.
Ingredients
- Chopped hard clams (steamed and chopped, or from cleaned raw clams)
- Clam broth/steaming liquid, strained
- Diced potatoes, onion, and celery
- Cream or milk (for a cream-based version) or additional broth (for a clear version)
- Salt, pepper, and thyme
Steps
- If starting from live clams, steam until they open (discard any that don't), reserve the strained liquid, and chop the meat.
- Sauté onion and celery until softened, add diced potatoes and clam broth, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the chopped clams and, for a cream-based chowder, cream or milk — heat through without boiling hard once dairy is added.
- Season with salt, pepper, and thyme to taste; confirm the chowder is heated through to at least 145°F before serving.
Food safety: Cook oysters and clams to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F, or until shells open during steaming (discard any that do not open) — per FoodSafety.gov's own shellfish guidance. Raw consumption carries real, distinct risk (see this guide's own Vibrio topic) — this project does not recommend raw consumption for anyone in a higher-risk group, and states that caution explicitly wherever a raw preparation appears.
This recipe is editorially adapted from general regional cooking technique and has not been physically tested by this project.