Manhattan Clam Chowder

Manhattan clam chowder is the red one, the New York one, the one that starts a fight with anyone from New England. This version is built from scratch: fresh clams steamed open in water to create the broth, chopped and added back to a tomato-based soup with potatoes, celery, and onion.

Rendered salt pork gives the base a savory, smoky backbone that bacon can only approximate. Cook it until crisp and light brown before adding the vegetables. That rendered fat is the cooking medium for the onions and celery, and it carries flavor through the entire pot.

The clams go in at the very end, chopped fine, and cook for just 5 minutes. Overcooking clams turns them into rubbery little erasers. Adding them late keeps them tender and briny.

Kitchen Tips

• Discard any clams that don’t open during steaming. Closed shells mean the clam was dead before cooking and isn’t safe to eat.
• Reserve exactly 3 cups of the clam broth. It’s the soul of the chowder, so don’t pour it down the drain.
• Cook the potatoes to barely tender before adding the clams. They continue softening and will turn mushy if you start with fully cooked potatoes.
• A day in the fridge makes this even better. The flavors meld and the broth thickens slightly.

Variations

• Bacon substitute: Use thick-cut bacon if salt pork isn’t available. It adds a smokier flavor but works well.
• Spicy version: Add red pepper flakes with the thyme for a chowder with some heat.