Creamy Clam Chowder Sourdough Bowl (Printable)
Rich New England chowder with clams, bacon, and potatoes served in crispy sourdough bowls.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 2 cans (6.5 oz each) chopped clams, juices reserved
02 - 1 cup bottled clam juice or fish stock
→ Meats
03 - 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 cup celery, diced
06 - 1½ cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 1 cup whole milk
→ Pantry
11 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Bread
15 - 4 small round sourdough bread loaves
→ Garnish
16 - Chopped fresh parsley
17 - Cracked black pepper
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice tops off sourdough loaves and hollow out centers, leaving ½-inch thick walls. Place bowls and tops on baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes until slightly crisp. Set aside.
02 - In large heavy pot over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat.
03 - Add butter to pot. Sauté onion and celery in fat until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
04 - Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to form roux.
05 - Gradually whisk in reserved clam juice, bottled clam juice, and bay leaf. Add potatoes and thyme. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook 12-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in clams, cooked bacon, milk, and cream. Simmer gently for 5 minutes without boiling. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf.
07 - Ladle chowder into prepared sourdough bowls. Garnish with parsley and extra black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of smoky bacon and sweet clams creates that perfect ocean-meets-farm flavor profile that makes you close your eyes between spoonfuls
- Everything cooks in one pot, but serving it in bread bowls transforms dinner into something that feels like an occasion
02 -
- Never let the chowder boil once the cream has been added or it will separate and become grainy
- The chowder will continue to thicken as it sits, so plan to thin it with a splash of warm milk when reheating leftovers
03 -
- Cut your potatoes slightly larger than you think you need because they shrink during simmering
- Taste your chowder before adding salt since both the bacon and clam juice bring significant saltiness