2 TBPS butter 1 small onion 1 full celery stick 1 small russet potato 1/4 cup flour 8oz clam juice 4 cups of whole milk 2 cans of chopped clams large pan/pot heat 2 TBPS butter 1 small onion medium to small dice add to pan/pot stir don't brown, not looking for sweetness 1 full celery stick medium dice add to pan/pot season w/ salt and pepper 1 small russet potato medium dice New Pot add potatoes cover with water +1 inch, put on stove cold cooking potatoes until "al dente" about 10-15minutes 1/4 cup~+ flour to aromatics stir 8oz clam juice add after flour is fully incorporated in batches stir 4 cups of milk add after clam juice is fully incorporated add 2 cans of chopped clams juice included stir add 2 bay leaves strain potatoes, add to main pot simmer for 5-10 minutes, once potatoes are done check for seasoning remove bay leaves serve, crackers/pepper
I really appreciate how whenever you make a cut you say around how long it was. Maintains a lot of the benefits of the continuous POV recording about as well as you can with cuts I think!
Ya he definitely doesn't mock chef John. My boy kenji giving chef John a shoutout is nothing short of a blessing for all of us in the food wishes fan club. Just real recognizing real my dude
"Tobasco's not my favorite hot sauce, but I do really like it in clam chowder for some reason" as someone who loves clam chowder, and grew up in New England, this is the most accurate statement ever
Regular tobasco is like the worst hot sauce. It has the least flavor of all the vinegar based sauces, all burn and acridness. Frank's, cholula, Louisiana, like literally any of the other classic vinegar based sauces are worlds better.
man there is just something special about kenji's cooking videos, the way he just shows the entire progress or at least most of it, does mistakes from time to time but then goes along with it, offers alternative ingredients and stuff like that. love it
I don't know why, but him saying "you can do (this) or (that) -but you don't have to!-" was therapeutic. I think sometimes watching recipe videos, there is a certain uniformity that creeps in all of our minds, to where when we want to try something different from the recipe, almost feels unintentionally heretical. So thank you Kenji
I went out and bought ingredients to make this chowder after watching this video last night. It turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing these awesome videos with us, Kenji!
I like more clams (a 3rd can), and a pat of butter. In RI we have clam cakes (think: clam fritters) for dipping into the chowder. Family in Maine start chowder with salt pork. So good.
I had the luck of having my old chef teach me his award winning clam chowder recipe before he passed. He was such a culinary advanced man, and I had sooo much that i wanted to learn from him. Rest In Peace Steve, we still use your recipes, and I make sure to tell every new cook we get about you.
I’m sorry for your loss, if you’d ever care to share his recipe I’d love to try it out too🙏 Its fun looking for new ways to enjoy classics like clam chowder
Man it’s cold as hell and raining where I live, I think Kenji just picked out what I’m cooking for me and my little brother tonight! Both of us are absolute fiends for clam chowder
Thank you for this video! My wife recently discovered she is lactose intolerant and I tried this by swapping the milk for coconut milk. It is almost indistinguishable and was so comforting after having to change our diets.
It would be hard for me to switch to coconut milk without changing everything ie; some green curry paste, omitting the potatoes, fresh clams and other shellfish.
i love that you didn't edit out the mistakes! good to see you are a real human being :) I enjoyed seeing you overcome the obstacles, and thanks for showing us how you came to your final product
Watching you inspired me to be a more thoughtful and confident cook, as well as make some wonderful spatulas out of all my scrap hardwood in the garage! Love your work Kenji
Kenji is the best. His recipes are straightforward, inspiring, and delicious. I learn so much from just watching his videos. And thanks for the shout-out to Chef John, another very similar chef.
I was raised in NH and now live in the PNW so I've eaten all manner of chowder. One thing I like to do is use corn or potato starch (depending on the type of chowder) instead of flour, as I think it's a more complementary flavor. Not gonna lie, I usually add a pinch of MSG, too. Obviously, I'm no purist.
Looks great. I like the way you sauteed the onions and celery and then put the flour in for the roux. This how how I make roux for my Shrimp Gumbo. I am making yr chowder this evening for a friend. Appreciate the visuals and your amounts.
I live on an island in Maine and very much appreciate how quickly you made this. There are high quality canned goods, especially seafood. Nothing beats traditional chowdah from scratch but then again I also have a toddler that doesn't give a F how the broth was built or how long it rested or if the clams were steamed on rock weed how old/big they are haha. Bravo sir
I live in the high desert in Arizona, I'm with you, any seafood in the desert, can get real pricey, real fast, and I know the meat and fish guy, and I wouldn't steam, smoke, or cook, annnything, over the "rock weeds", in my neck of the woods...lol!!! I do LOVE clam chowder though!!!🤤🤤
From Moby Dick.. “However, a warm savory steam from the kitchen served to belie the apparently cheerless prospect before us. But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh! sweet friends, hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuits, and salted pork cut up into little flakes! the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt. Our appetites being sharpened by the frosty voyage, and in particular, Queequeg seeing his favourite fishing food before him, and the chowder being surpassingly excellent, we despatched it with great expedition: when leaning back a moment and bethinking me of Mrs. Hussey’s clam and cod announcement, I thought I would try a little experiment. Stepping to the kitchen door, I uttered the word “cod” with great emphasis, and resumed my seat. In a few moments the savoury steam came forth again, but with a different flavor, and in good time a fine cod-chowder was placed before us.”
This is a great video, because it showcases how you can break some rules with cooking and things will still turn out fine. I also love that you can hear the dogs coming just out of frame when you go to the window for the thumbnail. They know what time it is.
Initially add some seasoning to the vegs. Cook and soften the potatoes with stock from the drained clams. I never use water. The starch helps thicken the chowder. Then add the heavy cream. If you like it more thickened, the two options are sparingly using instant potato flakes or a butter-base rue.
Wow. Made this. Though I soaked my russet potato dice for 15 min. Works better than pre-cook and less mess to cleanup. This is a great quick and delish recipe. No fuss. Just my kind!
I love clam chowder but I never make it because I figure it will be too much of a project. I made this recipe last night and it was absolutely delicious. I am eating the rest tonight for dinner and it’s even better today. This took me a whole 30 minutes to make. Crazy good. Thanks Kenji.
I learned to make béchamel the “little bit at a time” method. Now I preheat my milk in the microwave while I toast the flour and butter, then dump it all in and whisk for like 10 seconds to get instant béchamel with no lumps.
I just made this for dinner tonight. If you like a lot of clams in your chowder, I'd toss in an extra can or two (sans juice otherwise it reduces the clam-to-liquid ratio ). Added some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley in the last few minutes...came out delicious!
This has become a specialty of mine -- thank you for this recipe.I like using leeks instead of onions. They add more green color and you can use more of em without overpowering the other flavors.
That's essentially my recipe that I've been using for decades, except I always use bacon so I have some lardons for topping. I really like using Carnation baby clams when I can find them.
Awesome video Kenji, I did some research on Pikes Place chowder and the technique seems the same except the clam meat is strained and added to a cooling down from simmer pot at 160 degrees. I believe they also use a dollop of clam base.
I live about an hour south of Boston and i been eating chowder my whole life. I decided a few years ago i was going to make my own since it was hard finding the right chowder, even living here. So my recipe, as odd as it may sound, uses an 8 ounce container of whipped cream cheese and milk added to the clam juice as the broth base. I also start with bacon and saute my veggies in the fat after the bacon is done. I do use the bacon pieces in my chowder also. Instead of hot sauce, i do add a dash of Worcestershire and a dash of balsamic vinegar(not even dashes,but drops really) and i like old bay as one of the seasonings but not much. Yours looks more professional for sure, but i bet my bottom dollar, mine will blow your mind flavor wise 👍Great video and glad i found the channel.
My favorite clam chowder is Minorcan clam chowder - famous in America's oldest city, St Augustine, FL. It's more like a Manhattan style but has heat from datil pepper.
@@maydaygarden nope! Keep it in there. It helps season the soup and its nice to have some meat in there that isnt clams or the chopped quahogs we also put in there!
@@paultevyaw8011 Thank you so very much! I'll dice it and add it to the onions and celery. Our family used to go to Pismo Beach CA back in the day when clams were plentiful. Not now tho.
@@maydaygarden i personally suggest starting off with the salt pork and a little bit of water in the pot so that the fat renders nicely. The water wont go much higher than its boiling point so that the fat renders but it doesnt cook all the way through yet (im not sure of the exact science so this may be a bit flawed) and once the water is evaporated I recommend going in with your onions and celery!
So, I just have to say, of all the recipes on your channel, this is the one I've come back to the most. I made it for the first time not too long after it was first posted. I don't usually have the energy for much cooking, but this was simple enough to be within my capabilities, so I figured why not try it? After all, I love New England clam chowder. Well, after the first time, I was hooked. Such a simple recipe, yet so delicious. I've made a few tweaks over several repeats to the recipe to bring it in line with my specific tastes for clam chowder. Mainly, I like it extremely thick and very hearty, enough to be a full meal on its own. So, for my version, I use a full half cup of flour, along with 2 large russet potatoes. I also want more protein and more seafoody goodness, so I use two cans of whole baby clams and a can of boiled oysters, along with the juice from them. Finally, since all that makes for a pretty heavy soup, I add a can of drained sweet corn for a bit of crunch and sweetness that helps balance things out. I may make more tweaks in the future, but that is the best iteration I've made so far. I really want to thank for this recipe. It's been great having one of my favorite soups regularly, and it's helped me to do my best to cook more often. I love your channel and your videos, and look forward to continuing to watch them for as long as you make them. Thanks for all your great work!
I made this last night with a couple minor changes. I had to use baby clams because the grocers were out of chopped. I don't recommend, too easily lost in the soup. Added a carrot to the celery and leek on auto mire poix pilot Used a generous pinch of smoked salt since you mentioned the salted meat addition. That was really good.
I always add about a tsp of red wine vinegar at the end per 2 quarts of soup. I saw Alton brown do it in a vegetable soup and now I do it to all my soups, stews, and chowders!
I came back to this a year later to use as a guideline cuz I liked what I made but lost my recipe. Clam chowder is my partner's favorite & he likes it really thick. I prefer it thinner. We are both from the PNW. My dad never used anything to thicken his though (& used razor clams!). So this is a nice midway point. Though I do prefer the razor clams- but now we live in rural MN & there aint no razor clams around here.
As Chef John would have probably put it when you added the clam stock: "Add it at any speed you like, after all, you've got the power over wetting your flour."
Love the recipe, followed it step by step while the video played in the kitchen. Only thing I changed was adding some chopped pre-cooked frozen bacon from Costco into the vegetables at the beginning. Also used too much butter at the beginning because the vegetables seemed too dry while sauteing - I've never made a roux before, being accustomed to Chinese cooking as an Asian American. I added the entire bottle of clam juice (240ml) yet the roux was still very much holding its shape, like a soggy dough, which concerned me since your roux was a liquid after the bottle was added. Fortunately it came out to a good thickness and adding some milk at the end evened it all out. The first time I had clam chowder was in my uni's cafetaria. It was great and while I thought the concept of a milk-based soup was weird at first, it was absolutely delicious. Recently nostalgia struck, so I decided to make it for myself. Thank you for a thorough yet easy-to-follow video! Your contributions make the world a better place.
South African (Durban) Style curry uses fluffy potatoes which also thickens the gravy. the key is to cut them up into larger cubes and add them directly to the curry, the starch will break away from the potatoes and thicken the gravy but for whatever reason if you cut the potatoes too small the potatoes don't dissolve at all.
It’s because there’s an enzyme in potatoes that helps pectin dissolve called PME. If you cut the potatoes too small it gets washed out of them and destroyed by the heat, so the potatoes don’t soften.
30 years ago I attended a record fair in a Boston hotel. I ordered a clam chowder because I had read about it. The chowder was impressively good. This was not in one of the high-end restaurants. It was just at a lunch counter. It was far better than I expected.
There are definitely the not-too-thick style of clam chowder in Seattle and San Francisco as well. I think if you go to the oyster farm shops like Hog Island (SF) and Taylor Shellfish (Seattle) the clam chowder they serve aren't the so-rich-it-feels-like-a-paste type. I guess they use fresh clams (since that's what they are selling) and want the clams to take a more center stage in the soup.
This makes me think of the clam chowder fountain and joke from the Good Place. Great show! Edit: I should have known Kenji would have mentioned the pun! I need to watch the video all the way through before commenting.
“Clam chowder is disgusting because it’s basically a savory latte with bugs in it.... It’s just hot ocean milk with dead animal croutons.” -Eleanor, The Good Place
From Seattle and there's not much I love more than a thicc clam chowder. I've lived abroad for years and never thihght about making myself, this looks easy enough! I see clan chowder in my winter future...
I made clam chowder years ago but yesterday I went with a recipe and I can't stand the taste. I added chicken stock made from chicken base and the soup came out with a conflicting taste. It was also actually gritty...time to start over. Your recipe looks stellar, not sure about how to get rid of the gritty. I'm subbing..Peace from Colorado!
This has become my favorite clam chowder recipe, though I use bacon instead of butter. Ultimately I almost use 1-1 part bacon to clam though. I've found the flour to be the most finicky ingredient. A loose packed quarter cup isn't enough but a dense packed quarter cup is a bit too much. It took a few tries for me to consistently make it the way I like it.
A pretty insane way to go is start with a little bacon, then get color on some nice scallops in the same pan. That scallopie fond is a stupid CRAZY GOOD thing to build off of!
Great video, I will be making this soon as it is becoming colder and raining more where I live. I also appreciate that you give your doggo a little snack :)
Here in canada a bloody mary + clam juice is called a Caesar and it is so popular that you can buy pre-mixed clam and tomato juice called Clamato juice.
I'm not a chef but whenever I make béchamel, the experience I've had is that dumping the liquid all at once doesn't make clumps however it will make it harder to scrape the "corners" of the bottom of the pan if the pan you're using isn't rounded at the bottom.
I like to do the drizzle method because I panic less when it seems to stay thicker, instead of thinning out and then thickening over time. I think it's all mental.
It's an intriguing conundrum to be sure. On one hand you have the all-in method, and more liquid usually means more ability to dissolve, relying on evaporation to thicken along with starch development. But heat also speeds dissolution, as it agitates all the particlesmpresent in the volume. Stirring, with less liquid, may introduce a heightened shearing effect that a thinner solution wouldn't afford. But I must admit I am not a culinary mythbuster, and have a generous gap in my current knowledge base. Curious...
Last time my wife and I went clamming we made your original recipe scaled up to 5 pounds of fresh clams and fed all the neighbors! Thickening with flour and being able to skip the blend step at the cost of having one more pan to clean is a pretty reasonable trade off. If you ever want to go clamming let me know! Tons of options in the area.
I cook the potatoes in the clam juice from the bottle and the juice drained from the caned clams. That way the potatoes absorb clam flavor and not water. I have never had it break on me.
My dad was a chef at the Grille in Hingham. I think he used to make it with juice, base, frozen chopped clams, and half and half, and he'd use a food processor to turn the celery and onion into a paste so it would basically dissolve into the final chowder.
Don't get me wrong, I like this recipe. It's much more accessible. I think I'd have to special order a 2-pound tub of base from Schreiber's or overpay on Amazon if I wanted to make my dad's recipe, because there's no "better than bullion" alternative out there.
2 TBPS butter
1 small onion
1 full celery stick
1 small russet potato
1/4 cup flour
8oz clam juice
4 cups of whole milk
2 cans of chopped clams
large pan/pot
heat
2 TBPS butter
1 small onion
medium to small dice
add to pan/pot
stir
don't brown, not looking for sweetness
1 full celery stick
medium dice
add to pan/pot
season w/ salt and pepper
1 small russet potato
medium dice
New Pot
add potatoes
cover with water +1 inch, put on stove cold
cooking potatoes until "al dente" about 10-15minutes
1/4 cup~+ flour to aromatics
stir
8oz clam juice
add after flour is fully incorporated in batches
stir
4 cups of milk
add after clam juice is fully incorporated
add 2 cans of chopped clams
juice included
stir
add 2 bay leaves
strain potatoes, add to main pot
simmer for 5-10 minutes, once potatoes are done
check for seasoning
remove bay leaves
serve, crackers/pepper
Bless
Thanks a ton! One note: you may want to change the potato to medium or large, as he ended up using the rest.
Thank you!
I really appreciate how whenever you make a cut you say around how long it was. Maintains a lot of the benefits of the continuous POV recording about as well as you can with cuts I think!
I’m always so happy to hear Chef John shoutouts in the wild. He taught me how to cook back when I could barely boil water and I just love him
@@yukonstriker1703 why in earth wouldn’t mock chef John?! 😂
Ya he definitely doesn't mock chef John. My boy kenji giving chef John a shoutout is nothing short of a blessing for all of us in the food wishes fan club. Just real recognizing real my dude
"Tobasco's not my favorite hot sauce, but I do really like it in clam chowder for some reason" as someone who loves clam chowder, and grew up in New England, this is the most accurate statement ever
You New Englanders should give Old Bay a sprinkle on your clam chowder, and also, just put it on everything else tbh
@@ChuckD99 Sorry, I’m a Cholula-guy myself
Red Devil and Crystal for me.
Tabasco is not my favorite hot sauce, because there are so many other good ones, too. But, try putting the chipotle Tabasco on bananas, it's delish.
Regular tobasco is like the worst hot sauce. It has the least flavor of all the vinegar based sauces, all burn and acridness. Frank's, cholula, Louisiana, like literally any of the other classic vinegar based sauces are worlds better.
man there is just something special about kenji's cooking videos, the way he just shows the entire progress or at least most of it, does mistakes from time to time but then goes along with it, offers alternative ingredients and stuff like that. love it
That's how it is in a normal kitchen.
From a former chef/line-cook, Kenji is the most real cook on YT. You can really tell when a cook has real professional experience
Chef John's dump it all in techinque is so awsome. Just throws everything you were ever taught at culinary school out the window and i fucking love it
I don't know why, but him saying "you can do (this) or (that) -but you don't have to!-" was therapeutic. I think sometimes watching recipe videos, there is a certain uniformity that creeps in all of our minds, to where when we want to try something different from the recipe, almost feels unintentionally heretical. So thank you Kenji
"I used to love clam chowder, I mean I do now, but I used to, too." was very Mitch Hedbergian. :)
That's exactly what I thought too! haha
This is what I came to the comments for.
I’m sure it was an intentional reference. I’d be shocked if Kenji wasn’t familiar with Mitch’s comedic stylings.
RIP
Came here to say the same thing. I bet kenji would make a better homemade sprite though.
I went out and bought ingredients to make this chowder after watching this video last night. It turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing these awesome videos with us, Kenji!
How was it?
I like more clams (a 3rd can), and a pat of butter. In RI we have clam cakes (think: clam fritters) for dipping into the chowder. Family in Maine start chowder with salt pork. So good.
Bless you Kenji for specifying the chowder is thicc with two c's
I had the luck of having my old chef teach me his award winning clam chowder recipe before he passed. He was such a culinary advanced man, and I had sooo much that i wanted to learn from him. Rest In Peace Steve, we still use your recipes, and I make sure to tell every new cook we get about you.
I’m sorry for your loss, if you’d ever care to share his recipe I’d love to try it out too🙏 Its fun looking for new ways to enjoy classics like clam chowder
Don't let anyone convince you Kenji isn't hip and trendy. He knows how to spell thicc.
i did a double take when this video scrolled through my recommendation
I love the fact you brought up Chef John… You and John are Bay Area legends… Thank you for all you do..
Man it’s cold as hell and raining where I live, I think Kenji just picked out what I’m cooking for me and my little brother tonight! Both of us are absolute fiends for clam chowder
It's raining where I'm at too, but it's tropical, so it's just pleasant
Thank you for this video! My wife recently discovered she is lactose intolerant and I tried this by swapping the milk for coconut milk. It is almost indistinguishable and was so comforting after having to change our diets.
It would be hard for me to switch to coconut milk without changing everything ie; some green curry paste, omitting the potatoes, fresh clams and other shellfish.
i love that you didn't edit out the mistakes! good to see you are a real human being :) I enjoyed seeing you overcome the obstacles, and thanks for showing us how you came to your final product
Watching you inspired me to be a more thoughtful and confident cook, as well as make some wonderful spatulas out of all my scrap hardwood in the garage! Love your work Kenji
Love seeing cooking in real time. Almost no other channels does this. It hides nothing and makes me feel more confident I understand the recipe.
Kenji and Chef John's bromance is elevating TH-cam food content to a new level
real recognise real
Even though Kenji moved out of the Bay Area, I’m still hoping we get a collab/crossover video with both of them.
We need that crossover, even if it is only by videocall
Babbish was there first…
What is the name of Chef John's channel?
Kenji is the best. His recipes are straightforward, inspiring, and delicious. I learn so much from just watching his videos. And thanks for the shout-out to Chef John, another very similar chef.
Kenji talking about hardtack makes me replay the hardtack cut from Tasting History in my head and I love it
I just got into that channel, and I don't know why I didn't find it sooner. I love stuff like that.
Anyone with Kit Fisto from Lego Star Wars as their profile pic, I trust so I’ll go watch that!
* clack clack *
I made this last week and I’m so happy with the results. It’s a lot of fun to cook along with you like this!
I was raised in NH and now live in the PNW so I've eaten all manner of chowder. One thing I like to do is use corn or potato starch (depending on the type of chowder) instead of flour, as I think it's a more complementary flavor. Not gonna lie, I usually add a pinch of MSG, too. Obviously, I'm no purist.
I was not prepared for "Hot ocean milk with dead animal croutons." 😂
Watch The Good Place!
Can we get this on a shirt please? LOL
I was!!! Lol
Also "pump up the clam."
I LOVE the Good Place references!
Looks great. I like the way you sauteed the onions and celery and then put the flour in for the roux. This how how I make roux for my Shrimp Gumbo. I am making yr chowder this evening for a friend. Appreciate the visuals and your amounts.
you are the Chef John of getting your smooth roux on.
You are after all the Channing Crowder of your New England Clam Chowder.
@@mlhayes91 I was thinking Boyd Crowder "Fire in the hole!"
"Used to love clam chowder, I mean I still do, but I used to also" was that a mitch hedburg reference?? 😅
Just as I thought I could not love Kenji anymore, he references The Good Place
I live on an island in Maine and very much appreciate how quickly you made this. There are high quality canned goods, especially seafood. Nothing beats traditional chowdah from scratch but then again I also have a toddler that doesn't give a F how the broth was built or how long it rested or if the clams were steamed on rock weed how old/big they are haha. Bravo sir
I live in the high desert in Arizona, I'm with you, any seafood in the desert, can get real pricey, real fast, and I know the meat and fish guy, and I wouldn't steam, smoke, or cook, annnything, over the "rock weeds", in my neck of the woods...lol!!! I do LOVE clam chowder though!!!🤤🤤
From Moby Dick..
“However, a warm savory steam from the kitchen served to belie the apparently cheerless prospect before us. But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh! sweet friends, hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuits, and salted pork cut up into little flakes! the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt. Our appetites being sharpened by the frosty voyage, and in particular, Queequeg seeing his favourite fishing food before him, and the chowder being surpassingly excellent, we despatched it with great expedition: when leaning back a moment and bethinking me of Mrs. Hussey’s clam and cod announcement, I thought I would try a little experiment. Stepping to the kitchen door, I uttered the word “cod” with great emphasis, and resumed my seat. In a few moments the savoury steam came forth again, but with a different flavor, and in good time a fine cod-chowder was placed before us.”
Beautiful
That is awesome, thank you for that
Ah, Moby-Dick quotation. Thank you, Mr. Holbrook. Very satisfying. 🐳
When Kenji said "I like a lot of peeper in my chowder" a small tear fell from my eye. Finally someone understands me.
This is a great video, because it showcases how you can break some rules with cooking and things will still turn out fine.
I also love that you can hear the dogs coming just out of frame when you go to the window for the thumbnail. They know what time it is.
I think that the potatoes in the wrong place was the best “oops” so far. The laugh after made me laugh for the rest of the video!! Great as always!!
Initially add some seasoning to the vegs. Cook and soften the potatoes with stock from the drained clams. I never use water. The starch helps thicken the chowder. Then add the heavy cream. If you like it more thickened, the two options are sparingly using instant potato flakes or a butter-base rue.
Wow. Made this. Though I soaked my russet potato dice for 15 min. Works better than pre-cook and less mess to cleanup. This is a great quick and delish recipe. No fuss. Just my kind!
Have you ever thought of posting a grocery haul? You have so many things I think it would be interesting and fun to see what you buy in a week or two
Watched this a few times and “pump up the clams” gets me every time
I love clam chowder but I never make it because I figure it will be too much of a project. I made this recipe last night and it was absolutely delicious. I am eating the rest tonight for dinner and it’s even better today. This took me a whole 30 minutes to make. Crazy good. Thanks Kenji.
I learned to make béchamel the “little bit at a time” method.
Now I preheat my milk in the microwave while I toast the flour and butter, then dump it all in and whisk for like 10 seconds to get instant béchamel with no lumps.
You read my mind with this one. I've been looking at chowder recipes all morning and then got this notification.
Love it when Kenji & CJ reference each other. A Collab would be awesome.
I just made this for dinner tonight. If you like a lot of clams in your chowder, I'd toss in an extra can or two (sans juice otherwise it reduces the clam-to-liquid ratio ). Added some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley in the last few minutes...came out delicious!
This has become a specialty of mine -- thank you for this recipe.I like using leeks instead of onions. They add more green color and you can use more of em without overpowering the other flavors.
Clam chowder recipes with Lord of the Rings references? This is why I come to Kenji's channel, haha
Was there a LOTS reference? I don’t even remember!
@@JKenjiLopezAlt lembas bread!
Oh right!
Also the Good Place references which I was excited to hear! I love that show and it makes me happy to hear others do too
What about Indiana Jones??!!
That's essentially my recipe that I've been using for decades, except I always use bacon so I have some lardons for topping. I really like using Carnation baby clams when I can find them.
I just made this for todays lunch and dinner and it is amazing!
Awesome video Kenji, I did some research on Pikes Place chowder and the technique seems the same except the clam meat is strained and added to a cooling down from simmer pot at 160 degrees. I believe they also use a dollop of clam base.
I live about an hour south of Boston and i been eating chowder my whole life. I decided a few years ago i was going to make my own since it was hard finding the right chowder, even living here. So my recipe, as odd as it may sound, uses an 8 ounce container of whipped cream cheese and milk added to the clam juice as the broth base. I also start with bacon and saute my veggies in the fat after the bacon is done. I do use the bacon pieces in my chowder also. Instead of hot sauce, i do add a dash of Worcestershire and a dash of balsamic vinegar(not even dashes,but drops really) and i like old bay as one of the seasonings but not much. Yours looks more professional for sure, but i bet my bottom dollar, mine will blow your mind flavor wise 👍Great video and glad i found the channel.
My favorite clam chowder is Minorcan clam chowder - famous in America's oldest city, St Augustine, FL. It's more like a Manhattan style but has heat from datil pepper.
Love the Mitch Hedberg reference
I used to love Kenji’s videos…still do, but I used to as well.
At the restaurant i work at we also use salt pork at the beginning! And we cook our potatoes in clam juice as well! I love living in New England
Do you include the salt pork in the soup and remove it before service? Curious since I've only used as a seasoning in collards and beans.
@@maydaygarden nope! Keep it in there. It helps season the soup and its nice to have some meat in there that isnt clams or the chopped quahogs we also put in there!
@@paultevyaw8011 Thank you so very much! I'll dice it and add it to the onions and celery. Our family used to go to Pismo Beach CA back in the day when clams were plentiful. Not now tho.
@@maydaygarden i personally suggest starting off with the salt pork and a little bit of water in the pot so that the fat renders nicely. The water wont go much higher than its boiling point so that the fat renders but it doesnt cook all the way through yet (im not sure of the exact science so this may be a bit flawed) and once the water is evaporated I recommend going in with your onions and celery!
I made this tonight just the way you did in this video and it came out amazing. My family thanks you. 🙏
So, I just have to say, of all the recipes on your channel, this is the one I've come back to the most. I made it for the first time not too long after it was first posted. I don't usually have the energy for much cooking, but this was simple enough to be within my capabilities, so I figured why not try it? After all, I love New England clam chowder. Well, after the first time, I was hooked. Such a simple recipe, yet so delicious.
I've made a few tweaks over several repeats to the recipe to bring it in line with my specific tastes for clam chowder. Mainly, I like it extremely thick and very hearty, enough to be a full meal on its own. So, for my version, I use a full half cup of flour, along with 2 large russet potatoes. I also want more protein and more seafoody goodness, so I use two cans of whole baby clams and a can of boiled oysters, along with the juice from them. Finally, since all that makes for a pretty heavy soup, I add a can of drained sweet corn for a bit of crunch and sweetness that helps balance things out.
I may make more tweaks in the future, but that is the best iteration I've made so far. I really want to thank for this recipe. It's been great having one of my favorite soups regularly, and it's helped me to do my best to cook more often. I love your channel and your videos, and look forward to continuing to watch them for as long as you make them. Thanks for all your great work!
I made this last night with a couple minor changes. I had to use baby clams because the grocers were out of chopped. I don't recommend, too easily lost in the soup. Added a carrot to the celery and leek on auto mire poix pilot Used a generous pinch of smoked salt since you mentioned the salted meat addition. That was really good.
I always add about a tsp of red wine vinegar at the end per 2 quarts of soup. I saw Alton brown do it in a vegetable soup and now I do it to all my soups, stews, and chowders!
"I still do, but I used to, too". Channeling your inner Mitch Hedberg.
I came back to this a year later to use as a guideline cuz I liked what I made but lost my recipe. Clam chowder is my partner's favorite & he likes it really thick. I prefer it thinner. We are both from the PNW. My dad never used anything to thicken his though (& used razor clams!). So this is a nice midway point. Though I do prefer the razor clams- but now we live in rural MN & there aint no razor clams around here.
Just made this and it was super easy and delicious!
Thanks Kenji, been walking around my house singing "little bit chowder now" for the past too many hours.
Geoducks are the key. The best was made with hand dug geoducks on the hood canal. They have such a great taste.
First thing I made by you and it did not miss !!! Thanks a ton !
Hi Kenji. Watched the entire video twice.
Although I'd never make a white or clear chowder without fresh thyme, I think this looks amazing kenji. Thank you
Ding dang, it's about time! Thanks! Love you man!
As Chef John would have probably put it when you added the clam stock:
"Add it at any speed you like, after all, you've got the power over wetting your flour."
Love the recipe, followed it step by step while the video played in the kitchen. Only thing I changed was adding some chopped pre-cooked frozen bacon from Costco into the vegetables at the beginning. Also used too much butter at the beginning because the vegetables seemed too dry while sauteing - I've never made a roux before, being accustomed to Chinese cooking as an Asian American. I added the entire bottle of clam juice (240ml) yet the roux was still very much holding its shape, like a soggy dough, which concerned me since your roux was a liquid after the bottle was added. Fortunately it came out to a good thickness and adding some milk at the end evened it all out.
The first time I had clam chowder was in my uni's cafetaria. It was great and while I thought the concept of a milk-based soup was weird at first, it was absolutely delicious. Recently nostalgia struck, so I decided to make it for myself. Thank you for a thorough yet easy-to-follow video! Your contributions make the world a better place.
South African (Durban) Style curry uses fluffy potatoes which also thickens the gravy. the key is to cut them up into larger cubes and add them directly to the curry, the starch will break away from the potatoes and thicken the gravy but for whatever reason if you cut the potatoes too small the potatoes don't dissolve at all.
It’s because there’s an enzyme in potatoes that helps pectin dissolve called PME. If you cut the potatoes too small it gets washed out of them and destroyed by the heat, so the potatoes don’t soften.
Sending you and yours love , my friend ! Been really enjoying these cooking vids. Gonna finally try this one ! Cheers!
30 years ago I attended a record fair in a Boston hotel. I ordered a clam chowder because I had read about it. The chowder was impressively good. This was not in one of the high-end restaurants. It was just at a lunch counter. It was far better than I expected.
i wish to have the same kitchen. Like the vibes into it. Bravo Babish.
Kenji describing a food you may not know: “you know this fictional food item with magical restorative properties, that.” 😂
We have a song called "fictional aisle" that has a ton of fictional foods in it! Check it out!
Absolutely love PNW clam chowder, being from Seattle myself. I live in Edinburgh now and really miss it!!!
i like how simple this recipe is
There are definitely the not-too-thick style of clam chowder in Seattle and San Francisco as well. I think if you go to the oyster farm shops like Hog Island (SF) and Taylor Shellfish (Seattle) the clam chowder they serve aren't the so-rich-it-feels-like-a-paste type. I guess they use fresh clams (since that's what they are selling) and want the clams to take a more center stage in the soup.
This makes me think of the clam chowder fountain and joke from the Good Place. Great show!
Edit: I should have known Kenji would have mentioned the pun! I need to watch the video all the way through before commenting.
“Clam chowder is disgusting because it’s basically a savory latte with bugs in it.... It’s just hot ocean milk with dead animal croutons.”
-Eleanor, The Good Place
From Seattle and there's not much I love more than a thicc clam chowder. I've lived abroad for years and never thihght about making myself, this looks easy enough! I see clan chowder in my winter future...
That is some excellent Cham Clowder
I made clam chowder years ago but yesterday I went with a recipe and I can't stand the taste. I added chicken stock made from chicken base and the soup came out with a conflicting taste. It was also actually gritty...time to start over. Your recipe looks stellar, not sure about how to get rid of the gritty. I'm subbing..Peace from Colorado!
Kenji you would love Cullen Skink - would love to see a video of you making it if you haven't tried it before
This has become my favorite clam chowder recipe, though I use bacon instead of butter. Ultimately I almost use 1-1 part bacon to clam though. I've found the flour to be the most finicky ingredient. A loose packed quarter cup isn't enough but a dense packed quarter cup is a bit too much. It took a few tries for me to consistently make it the way I like it.
A pretty insane way to go is start with a little bacon, then get color on some nice scallops in the same pan.
That scallopie fond is a stupid CRAZY GOOD thing to build off of!
Great video, I will be making this soon as it is becoming colder and raining more where I live. I also appreciate that you give your doggo a little snack :)
I bloody love this channel
Here in canada a bloody mary + clam juice is called a Caesar and it is so popular that you can buy pre-mixed clam and tomato juice called Clamato juice.
I'm not a chef but whenever I make béchamel, the experience I've had is that dumping the liquid all at once doesn't make clumps however it will make it harder to scrape the "corners" of the bottom of the pan if the pan you're using isn't rounded at the bottom.
I like to do the drizzle method because I panic less when it seems to stay thicker, instead of thinning out and then thickening over time. I think it's all mental.
Hot roux, cold stock, no LUMPS!
@@sullivan108 Julia Child says warm up any liquid first for cream sauces
It's an intriguing conundrum to be sure. On one hand you have the all-in method, and more liquid usually means more ability to dissolve, relying on evaporation to thicken along with starch development. But heat also speeds dissolution, as it agitates all the particlesmpresent in the volume. Stirring, with less liquid, may introduce a heightened shearing effect that a thinner solution wouldn't afford. But I must admit I am not a culinary mythbuster, and have a generous gap in my current knowledge base. Curious...
@@JesseCohen freshness of clams I think are key. Not stealing their spotlight. Which is why I vary
Love the recipe been making it ever since I've watched this video comes out amazing
Progresso clam chowder is pretty awesome if you season it with salt, pepper and MSG. That actually goes for most canned soups.
But most canned soups already have so much sodium in them to begin with :(
Last time my wife and I went clamming we made your original recipe scaled up to 5 pounds of fresh clams and fed all the neighbors! Thickening with flour and being able to skip the blend step at the cost of having one more pan to clean is a pretty reasonable trade off. If you ever want to go clamming let me know! Tons of options in the area.
Some people also put smallish chunks of cod in a clam chowder too! And some cream too!
I cook the potatoes in the clam juice from the bottle and the juice drained from the caned clams. That way the potatoes absorb clam flavor and not water. I have never had it break on me.
What a wonderful teacher
“Hot Ocean Milk with dead animal croutons” LMAO, gotta love it. Great video Kenji!
came to the comments specifically find people that called this out so I could laugh with them
Thanks, Kenji. Can’t wait to make this
My dad was a chef at the Grille in Hingham. I think he used to make it with juice, base, frozen chopped clams, and half and half, and he'd use a food processor to turn the celery and onion into a paste so it would basically dissolve into the final chowder.
Don't get me wrong, I like this recipe. It's much more accessible. I think I'd have to special order a 2-pound tub of base from Schreiber's or overpay on Amazon if I wanted to make my dad's recipe, because there's no "better than bullion" alternative out there.
Great info Kenji! Thank you so much for teaching me so much
I never thought I'd see Kenji use thicc with 2 c's, but here we are🤣
I made this exactly as shown, including the clam juice, but used oysters. I think they taste better.
Good video as always bud, can't wait for the new book!