Clam Chowder – the Real Deal – Manhattan or New England?

I don’t eat clams or oysters, but I love making clam chowder.

Friends Gus and Darlene dig clams regularly and I made chowder for us all two weeks ago. Darlene said she wanted to learn my recipe and method. I’m always glad to share – so this morning she came to Pop’s house with her large stockpot in which she’d cooked diced potatoes and carrots in a couple cups water.

I fried a pound of diced bacon, then added diced onion and celery to saute in the bacon fat and once drained, added it to the pot. I then added salt, pepper, parsley flakes, 2 cups of clams and 3 cups clam broth. The pot simmered (lid on) for 1 1/2 hours then I cooled it and refrigerated for 4 hours.

About 4 o’clock we heated up the soup, added 2 packets instant mashed potatoes to thicken and add taste, and let it simmer for 10 minutes, then added a can of Pacific milk. The chowder wasn’t quite thick enough so a tablespoon corn starch mixed with cold water thickened it up nicely.

We enjoyed the New England Clam Chowder with fresh bread baked with chunks of garlic.

I think the Manhattan Clam Chowder is my favourite, with tomatoes, but both are very good and the New England Chowder seems to be preferred by most people I know – so that’s the one I make most often.

Which do you like? New England or Manhattan?