Delicious New England Clam Chowder
Submitted by aftmth
Microwave New England clam chowder: bacon, potatoes, carrot, onion, clams, milk, and cream all cooked in a single casserole. Classic chowder flavor ready in about 20 minutes.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis is New England clam chowder cooked entirely in the microwave, start to finish, in one casserole. No saucepan, no whisking a roux on the stove, no babysitting a simmer. The bacon crisps, the vegetables soften, the milk thickens, and the clams warm through, all in the same two-quart dish.
The technique is smarter than it sounds. Microwave bacon renders evenly and reserves clean drippings for cooking the vegetables. Flour stirred into hot fat creates the same thickening base you would build on the stovetop. Cold milk goes in next and heats to thicken. Cream and clams go in last so the dairy does not break and the seafood does not turn rubbery.
The seasoning is classic: salt, pepper, dried thyme. Nothing fancy. The crumbled bacon, set aside at the start, gets scattered over the top right before serving for texture and a final hit of smoke.
Quick, satisfying, and microwave-only, this is a smart Tuesday-night chowder.
Pro Tips
- Use canned minced clams with the juice; the juice goes into the cooking fat and adds briny depth.
- Cube the potatoes small, around half an inch, so they cook fully in the microwave timing.
- Stir between each microwave segment to keep the milk from scorching or developing a skin.
- Add the clams last and only heat them through; overcooked clams turn tough fast.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of sherry or dry vermouth along with the clams for a slight restaurant-style lift.
- Stir in a quarter cup of corn kernels with the clams for a chowder-corn hybrid.
- For a thinner Rhode Island-style chowder, skip the flour and add an extra cup of clam juice.
Ingredients
Directions
Place bacon in a deep, 2-quart, heat-resistant, non-metallic casserole.
Heat, covered with a paper towel, in Microwave Oven 4 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
Remove cooked bacon with a slotted spoon.
Crumble bacon and set aside.
Reserve drippings in casserole.
Drain liquid from clams and add liquid to bacon drippings.
Set clams aside.
Add potatoes, onion and carrot to casserole.
Heat, covered, in Microwave Oven 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender; stir occasionally.
Blend flour into vegetable mixture.
Gradually stir in milk until smooth.
Heat, uncovered, in Microwave Oven 4 minutes or until thickened and smooth.
Stir in cream, salt, pepper, thyme and reserved clams.
Heat, uncovered, in Microwave Oven 4 minutes or until heated through.
Garnish with crumbled bacon before serving.
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