October 2017 we had the privilege of visiting New England in the fall. Wow! The colors were AMAZING! Our main destination was Maine, and we drove from Boston through New Hampshire into Maine and traveled along coastal Maine through crisp fall weather and gazing at beautiful fall foliage.
En route to Maine we stopped at the Hayseed Restaurant (accompanies the Smuttynose Brewing Company) in New Hampshire. The Hayseed is where I had my first ever New England Clam Chowder while in New England.
Prior to even leaving for Maine, I had been anticipating eating my first clam chowder in New England. As I have always loved clam chowder, I couldn’t wait to have my first bowl! This chowder did not disappoint. 🙂
Here you’ll find my recipe that tries to recreate this creamy clam chowder. I hope you’ll agree that this clam chowder provides a taste of New England!!
New Hampshire Inspired New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 small onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 large potato peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 6.5oz chopped clams
- 1.5 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 ea green onions sliced for garnish
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 ts chicken bouillon seasoning I used Maggi
- corn starch to thicken if desired
Instructions
- Cut bacon into bite sized pieces and brown in a large saucepan or stockpot
- Drain cooked bacon on paper towels
- Cook the onion and garlic in the bacon fat on med heat for 3 minutes stirring occasionally
- Add the celery and cook another 2 minutes
- Add potatoes, 1.5 cup chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon granules and bring to the boil
- Turn down heat to med low, and simmer for around 15 minutes (until potatoes are tender)
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream and all the clams (with all their juices) and stir to combine
- If at this point the chowder is too thin for your liking, add some corn starch (follow directions on your corn starch container as to how to add the corn starch)
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Go easy on the salt as the chowder will likely be salty due to the bacon and other ingredients)
Notes
Scoop your chowder into some bowls, add bacon bits and green onions on top, and enjoy the taste of New England!!
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