How to Ruin a Classic: Clam Chowder

I know what you’re thinking: You’re the drinks guy. Why are you writing about food? DFO has a food guy and he’s damn good at writing. Just bear with me here. Recently I came across this video of Jacques Pepin making “Classic New England Clam Chowder”.

I watched it and there are so many things wrong here I felt the need to respond. Before I go any further, I just want to say how much I love Jacques Pepin. I’ve got multiple seasons of his cooking shows saved, as well as 5 of his cookbooks that I use frequently!

I’m so sorry Jacques.

Let’s begin

Timestamp: 0:13

Ok, so our recipes differ immediately. He’s chopping bacon instead of salt pork. OK, I get it. Salt pork is a sort of niche ingredient, and bacon is more widely available. You need it to render the fat out to start the base. I can live with bacon here.

Timestamp 0:36

Olive oil is a choice. Though I think it makes sense. Two strips of bacon have way less fat to render than a block of salt pork. But the salt pork is also used later on, so I don’t know where this is going.

Timestamp 0:47

This is concerning. I’m a minute in and our recipes have nothing in common. He’s using leeks instead of a yellow onion. Leeks are part of the onion family so I’ll reluctantly give a pass here. It’s not something I would add. Leeks are filthy and the time to clean it and then chop it could be used just mincing an onion. In Jacques’ defense here, he says you can use an onion if you don’t have a leek. Which is true.

Timestamp 1:26

Garlic I can live with. I like garlic, but I don’t use it in mine. I’m not offended if you wanna grate some and throw it in.

Timestamp 2:26

Fresh thyme, like the garlic, I can get behind. I don’t use it, but it’s not uncommon to see that in New England Clam Chowder.

Timestamp 2:36

Jalapeno peppers. In New England. Clam. Chowder. No. No. No. I’ve had clam chowder many places in New England and I’ve literally never seen or heard of people putting jalapenos in chowder. If for some reason you want some heat, add some tabasco sauce when you serve it in your bowl. But not a jalapeno. Maybe its for flavor depth? But just the fact that it’s in there and he still calls this New England Clam Chowder hurts me to my core.

Timestamp 3:11

I’m still in shock with the jalapenos. Moving on. Bottled clam juice. I’m fine with this believe it or not. I use all the liquor (no, not THAT kind) that comes in the cans when I make my chowder so it’s essentially the same thing. Adding more only increases the depth of flavor, or hides the fact there are jalapenos in this  so go ahead and add more clam juice if you want to.

Timestamp 3:21

Water. I’m confused here. Why are we adding water? This is clam chowder. We want to taste the clams. Water dilutes the flavors going on. Then again, Jacques Pepin has three Michelin stars to my zero, so I’m assuming there’s a reason for the water, I just can’t figure it out.

Timestamp 3:25

Finally. An ingredient that we have in common! I have to admit, it’s a bit distressing that the first common ingredient we have is the potato.

Timestamp 3:41

“So this is a New England clam chowder…” No. Stop it. It is not a New England clam chowder.

Timestamp 3:55

“That” points to pot  “Is a classic New England”. What did I JUST say? Apparently this was the Howard Johnson’s New England clam chowder recipe. I want to know where they got this from. Show me on the map of the place where this recipe was concocted. I need to have a talk with the locals there and find out who hurt them.

Timestamp 4:03

“…you need to adjust for salt…” True. In this application you do need to add some. If you used salt pork, additional salt is unnecessary. The rendered fat from the salt pork, as well as some of the chopped pork itself you leave in the pot adds the perfect amount of salt. No need to add any more unless you really like salt.

Timestamp 4:40

Ok, the old school pepper grinder is awesome. My grinder is slightly jealous of that contraption. But long story short pepper is required and we now have our second common ingredient.

Timestamp 4:57

This is more a preference than a grievance. New England clam chowder can be served thick, or thin. My traditional recipe is a thinner chowder, so it doesn’t sit as heavy and can be the main course. However one of my favorite places on the Cape serves it thick. So a cup is more than enough to satisfy the need for some chowder as an appetizer. I have zero issues using flour and the liquid to thicken the chowder up to serve. Maybe this is why he added the water earlier.

Timestamp 5:46

By now I’ve already added my clams so I actively avoid boiling the pot right now because I don’t want to toughen up the clams. Since this chowder stew doesn’t have the delicate clams in it, go ahead and boil it to intensify the flavors and thicken the broth.

Timestamp 5:51

“…And some corn. I put a bit of corn in my chowder because I like corn and I think it goes well with it”. Again. Just no. There’s clam chowder, there’s corn chowder, but there is no corn in clam chowder. This is making the dish way too complicated. Personal preferences aside, leave it out of this.

Timestamp 7:21

In goes the corn. sigh. This hurts to watch one of my favorite chefs do this to one of my favorite things to make.

Timestamp 7:30

Believe it or not, I’m fine with canned clams. In fact the recipe I use specifically calls for them. Sure, you could get a ton of littlenecks and cherry stones and open them up yourself, but that is a gigantic pain in the ass and I’m happy to outsource that task for my chowder. Jacques again boils the clams. Again, I’m afraid they’ll get tough and rubbery, even though they’re chopped or minced.

Timestamp 7:47

Now this is strictly a personal choice. Heavy cream is fine to use. I’ve used it in the past, but I tend to stick with half and half. It adds more body than whole milk does, but it’s not as rich as heavy cream is. Though if you wanna make it, go with whatever you want.

Timestamp 8:14.

I like the chives as a garnish, but no oyster crackers in sight. C’mon. Oyster crackers are chowder 101.

Final impressions

Wow. Just…wow

That is most definitely NOT New England Clam Chowder. Than being said, it looks delicious, and if someone served me that, I’d eat all of it.

Well, now that I’ve pointed out everything wrong with that recipe, I need to share the recipe I use. What you will need:

4 cans snows 6.5oz chopped or minced clams
1/2 cup diced salt pork
1/2 cup chopped onion
Clam juice
1 whole potato
Dash pepper
2 cups milk (or half and half)

In a heavy pot, fry salt pork until golden. Remove some salt pork and reserve. Add onions and cook until tender (transparent)
Add clam liquor, potatoes, seasonings and clams. Cook about 15 min. or until potatoes are fork tender. Add milk/half and half. Serve in large bowls, and top with pad of butter and reserved salt pork. Add large pilot crackers (or oyster crackers)

Serves 4

That’s the recipe as was written on a notecard from my grandmother (maybe this is why I’m such a chowder purist…) and every time I make it I double the ingredients because the chowder will keep for a couple days in the fridge and just like red sauce or chili, it’s always better the next day.  So here is all the ingredients laid out and ready to go to make the double batch:

Yes that is in fact bacon. For all the complaining I did above, I had to use bacon. Though not for lack of trying. I went to three different stores and nobody had salt pork. So again, bacon can be used, but I prefer the salt pork.

Bacon into the heavy pot. In my case a lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I cut up the entire pack or bacon, but didn’t add it all to the Dutch oven. I kept some in reserve to fry separately so I could top with more bacon at the end, as well as have some on hand for leftover chowder.

Like any good chef, I have my mise en place all ready to go to the right of my Dutch oven. The onions go in next to cook in the rendered bacon fat until they’re tender. Next goes the big bowl of clams from the 9 cans I opened, then the potatoes.

Now we simmer, uncovered until the chunks of potato are starting to be fork tender. I stir occasionally, just to make sure nothing gets stuck to the bottom, and to keep things from bubbling too much. Once the potatoes are ready, in goes the half and half.

Now, we simmer a little bit more and wait. I’ll taste here and season with pepper as necessary. I took the opportunity to cook up the rest of the bacon, as well as a loaf of bread, because I completely forgot to pick up oyster crackers at the store. After all that complaining, of course I’d forget that.

The bacon is in there, it just sank

And there you have it. Real Classic New England clam chowder. This is one of my favorite recipes to make, especially with how easy it is to cook. No frills, simple and delicious. 

(Banner image from Pixabay)

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Sharkbait
Sharkbait has not actually been bitten by a shark, but has told people in bars that he was for free drinks. Married to a Giants fan, he enjoys whisk(e)y, cooking, the Rangers, and the Patriots.
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Buddy Cole's Halftime Show

Here I was thinking clam liquor was Skinny Girl Margarita Mix

blaxabbath

Also the crab spoon holder is cool.

blaxabbath

Just heard about this parade discharge event.

So, if anyone has already made the funniest comment, I just want to point out that I wasn’t ready when the gun went off.

BeefReeferLives

“Hours later, on the way home, the Tesla Model 3 barreled into a tree and exploded in flames, killing von Ohain, a Tesla employee and devoted fan of CEO Elon Musk. Rossiter, who survived the crash, told emergency responders that von Ohain was using an “auto-drive feature on the Tesla” that “just ran straight off the road,”

https://news.yahoo.com/tesla-worker-killed-fiery-crash-163808858.html?ICID=ref_fark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-SSa-D1i-M

blaxabbath

Please tell me this was an AI generated piece.

BeefReeferLives

& in today’s “Not A Drag Queen Reading Books to Kids” headlines:

‘A Texas pastor has been fired over “a pattern of predatory manipulation, sexual exploitation, and abuse of influence,” including with a minor in 2011.’

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/02/12/austin-texas-pastor-aaron-ivey-firing/72577443007/

WCS

Evidently, the “church” is more mad he’s actually gay than anything he did with kids.

I’m shocked.

BeefReeferLives

“Well, not that shocked”

blaxabbath

He could have secretly been a drag queen in private.

Boom. Stalemate.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Oh look, multiple people were shot at the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City. Typical Missouri shit.

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Last edited 9 months ago by Rikki-Tikki-Deadly
SonOfSpam

Just the trashiest of the trash.

WCS

Finger on the trigger. Idiot.

BugEyedBoo

Hot brass down his collar will liven him up.

WCS

Party of Law & Order, personal freedum, and right to bear arms.

Nothing about training or discipline, because those are for the commies like…. wait, who do they hate now? T-Swift still? It changes daily.

Redshirt

It depends on what that Orange Incel from Florida says.

WCS

@blax You were in Army. Doesn’t this shit infuriate you, too?

SonOfSpam

(he was only in the KISS Army)

Redshirt

Plus not looking at where the gun is pointed.

Shit, even the NRA teaches people don’t pull out your gun unless you’re prepared to use it and don’t aim your gun at something you don’t want to shoot!

I’d make a comment about gun education but my inbred Conservative counterparts would bitch that it takes time away from burning books or shaming the kid that’s not 100% heterosexual.

WCS

THIS is “bad guy” with a gun, NOT the other way around. It’s common fucking sense. Ah, this pisses me off.

WCS

Jerkoffs would have blamed anyone that they accidently wounded, too.

BeefReeferLives

Want to know how to make it thicker? Just ask Grim Gardashian, here all about it.

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SonOfSpam

Hold my calls.

/prints out picture
//heads to bathroom with lots of Kleenex

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

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King Hippo

BLECH, Paris y Naziosos each have a soccer point.

ballsofsteelandfury

It’s hilarious that your naziosos are the Italian side and they’re playing zee Germans.

King Hippo

RIGHT???

BugEyedBoo

We have that very same dutch oven. That fucker’s heavy!

King Hippo

On teevee box, Bear Team against the Nazis en espanol. Tablet is Gay Paris against Real San Sebastian (that’s their FM name), the insufferable Ray Hudson commentary-ing.

My first observation is that it’s quite odd for the Germans to be opposing the Nazis. But footy gets weird.

Second, I think if you hit the SAP button on one of the Spanish channels (ie, TUDN), they should continue en espanol – just like, slower and louder.

Mr. Ayo

I’m lazy and just have the multicast thing going.

ballsofsteelandfury

If you want to be real OG, it’s

Real (/spits on ground)
Donostia

Gumbygirl

You make it like I do, Sharky. One difference, I would substitute one of the cans of chopped clams with one can of whole baby clams- gives it that homemade look. For those of us on the best coast? Ivar’s clam bar in Seattle had some damn good chowdah back in the day. Hopefully, they still do!

Mr. Ayo

Ivar’s does, in fact, still rule.

Gumbygirl

I’m glad to hear it! Here’s a gentle reminder for the married gentlemen

54dc7d8f2be7e_-_sev-noys-on-valentines-day-lol-de.jpg
yeah right

We did a culinary tour of Pike’s Place Market and our guide got us some chowder from a place that is consistently rated as top chowder in the city. It may have been Ivar’s but I don’t remember the sign. It was damn delicious.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I almost bought a house on Ivar Avenue!

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

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SonOfSpam

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

This looks delicious, and I say that as someone who feels that clams are only ever-so-slightly elevated versions of hacked-up-pheghm.

Fronkenshteen

I appreciate the art of good .gif use in prose. The Sgt. Hartman .gif here is tremendous.

Senor Weaselo

Great work, if I liked soup, or seafood…

Anyway, what’s the white people version of “Haiyaa?”
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SonOfSpam

Hello?

Game Time Decision

I can see it in your eyes

WCS

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If it’s not this, I don’t know what it.

Gumbygirl

I’ve watched that guy’s videos, he’s very funny

WCS

The ex-wifey and I went to Danvers about a ten years for a wedding. Danvers/Salem, MA is stunningly gorgeous.

Anyway, I had chodah at The Lobster Shanty in Salem, and it was fantastic. I generally avoid creamy soups because my gut doesn’t handle it too well. However, I had to try this, and it was the best I’ve ever had. Don’t ask the ingredients since I haven’t a clue. We also had the poutine, and something else. Side note– how the hell do I remember this, when I don’t remember what I had for breakfast on June 3, 2004? Weird how that works.

This was a decade ago, because the hotel we stayed in was possibly the coolest I’ve ever been in. I was in the pool, listening to this when it happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKnOOWfd2x8

Anyway, great jorb, Sharky. FUCK the Bruins, and whatnot, and eat at Lobster Shanty if you find yinzelf in Salem.

WCS

Also, this exists in Danvers.

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SonOfSpam
WCS

I think I would have remembered eating in a cartoon in 2002.

Maybe not.

Brick Meathook

The best chowder I ever had was in Falmouth on Cape Cod, when an old college girlfriend I visited took me to the local pub and told me to order the chowder. It was served in a hollowed out round loaf of bread, and was so thick I could stick the spoon in at any angle and it would stay there. And it was good.

A close runner-up was at “The Captain Kidd” which is right at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute nearby. They served it the same way.

When I get New England Clam Chowder served to me, I always put a big dollop of butter and fresh ground pepper in it.

SonOfSpam

Cod or Fear?

BugEyedBoo

Chef Cady serves only the finest…

MV5BODQ0NTYzNDk2OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjc3Njg1MDI@._V1_.jpg
Brick Meathook

Both places bragged that they only used Quahog clams.

BugEyedBoo

Clam chowder in bread bowls are a thing in San Francisco. At least in the touristy parts that I was in.

2Pack

This looks like just the thing for a chilly winter day. I’ve gotta try your version, less complicated. In cooking, sometimes there is such a thing as too many ingredients. My dinner last night was pasta and grated pecorino Romana cheese… And it’s simply delicious.

SonOfSpam

I believe a food-centric trip to New England is in the offing.

Never been further north than Manhattan, and the less said about that variation of chowdah the better.

SonOfSpam

I always rely on the Sharkbait Travel Agency.

(for real, that sounds amazing and I’m in)

Horatio Cornblower

Lowratio will pick you up at the airport. His fees are quite reasonable.

Horatio Cornblower

It’s Modern for the best apizza, and I’ll cut a bitch over this.

/takes the CT pizza thing way too seriously.

blaxabbath

You know who else used to watch Youtube videos packed with bad information? Ashlli Babbit.

And we all know what happened to that stupid fucking bitch who got what she deserved….

Fronkenshteen

I used to make a chowder similar to Chef Pepín’s as a prep cook a number of years back. We didn’t get to use salt pork or bacon, they gave us “bacon ends” which were a pain in the ass to trim. But yeah, jalapeños, corn, onion, red pepper, bacon, bottled clam juice, frozen chopped clams, chicken stock, heavy cream & a spice pack with some heat. We called it “Southwest Corn & Clam Chowder” to fit our BBQ menu. It was actually pretty good, but I’m making yours.

Fronkenshteen

Flour roux and garnish with cilantro, if anyone wants to make this.

Fronkenshteen

Oh man it was. We’d make it in 2 gallon batches, so every time I saw it on the list I would starve myself all day and make it last thing. Then after we’d clean up the rest of the kitchen, I would HOUSE two huge goddamn bowls of the stuff standing up in the walk-in cooler like a fucking gavone.

Game Time Decision

cilantro is the true devil’s weed

ballsofsteelandfury

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Yeah man, cilantro’s fine, don’t blame an innocent plant for your tainted mutant genes that make it taste bad to you.

Game Time Decision

Meh, I’ll take “tall but cilantro tastes like shit” for mutant genes

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

[laughs at you from my comfortable seat on an airplane while shoving handfuls of delicious cilantro into my mouth]

yeah right

That’s a solid chowder recipe you’ve got there.
Like you I’ve sampled the real stuff everywhere and there is not a jalapeno to be found. Concur on the corn being its own recipe.

When I use bacon in my chowder I try to use one that’s not too smoky and I’ll do heavy cream in mine too.

I’m not sure what these “leftovers” are that you speak of.

Excellent work!

SonOfSpam

I don’t like jalapenos period; the thought of them in chowder gives me the vapors.

BeefReeferLives

Corn and Jalapeno in New England Clam Chowder???

Heresy. Stay in your lane and stick with the cassoulet, Jacques.

BeefReeferLives

No, thank YOU for this awesome recipe, Sharky!

(So what drink would pair with a nice bowl of traditional NE clam chowda’?)

Don T

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borisnow

Guess I know what meal I’m making next.

Game Time Decision

do you deliver?
/asking for me

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Lunch?

Game Time Decision

Serves 4

Does the conversion from normal to DFO, just need to carry the one, and it serves 1.5 people? WTF

/love the ladle holder

BrettFavresColonoscopy
ballsofsteelandfury

So, how would you thicken it up?

– Sir Mix A Lot

BrettFavresColonoscopy

You feed the chowder to the chowder?