As a native Rhode Islander, I’m sharing my minimalist approach to Rhode Island clam chowder using minimal ingredients with health in mind. The goal here is not to make enough chowder to feed an army. Instead, here’s how you can whip up approximately four cup-sized servings rather quickly. If you want to make more, double or quadruple it if you so desire.
Me, finding clams on Easton’s Beach in Newport, RI.
When you’re in Rhode Island in the summertime, clam chowder is frequently a cup-sized portion eaten on the go. The goal is to get to the beach ASAP, so the chowder first gets sampled in the car. Then once you get settled on your blanket at the beach, you can kick back and really go in on that cup of clam heaven among the sand and seagulls.
Here are three important tips:
- Make a white roux separately, then use that to thicken the broth as desired.
- Par-cook the potatoes because it removes the unwanted starchiness … a tip I learned from watching Mac and the Big Cheese on YouTube.
- Cut the potatoes really small so they break down quicker.
A few notes about my Rhode Island Clam chowder
It has a clear broth with a white roux
Rhode Island Clam Chowder has a clear broth without using milk or cream, and if you visit the fantastic state to sample some, you might not even notice. Potatoes become silky and cream-like by being broken down low and slow. Instructions for old chowder recipes say to “add the potatoes and clams in layers, dredging each layer with flour, salt, and pepper.” I’m not even sure what that means. Instead, I took the approach that mixing in a pre-made white roux allows you to thicken the chowder to your desired level, while keeping the broth relatively clear.
White chowder with milk (New England style) is certainly served in Rhode Island, and many restaurants will automatically ask if you want it “clear or white”. So if you’re cooking chowder at home, make this clear chowder recipe first as a starting point. Then you have the option to make white chowder by adding some milk at your discretion. You can even add tomato paste for a Manhattan-style chowder.
White New England clam chowder from Aunt Carrie’s in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
The Simplicity
My chowder recipe is super basic, so the briny clam flavor is the star of the show. Many times, chowders become needlessly “fancy” and complicated with too many extra herbs, or they contain so many veggies that they come close to being vegetable soup. As a state, we’re proud of our fresh seafood, and our less-is-more approach applies to other foods like lobster rolls. A lobster roll is literally just a bun, lobster, maybe some lettuce, and some tartar sauce on the side. It doesn’t make sense to over-complicate them with extra “stuff”, and the same goes for chowder.
There’s No Pork in My Clam Chowder
I’m always making healthier versions of classic foods, so omitting pork was my main motivation for making my own clam chowder recipe. Classic chowder recipes use bacon or salt pork. Of course, it tastes amazing every time I order chowder when I visit home, but I rarely eat pork in my everyday life. Instead, I swap it with bay leaves. Be sure to buy fresh bay leaves when they’re bright green and pliable, not dry and crispy. Also, if you break them in half, more of their flavor gets released into your chowder.
Fresh clams washed up on the shore after a hurricane in Newport, Rhode Island, August 2021.
Rhode Island Clam Chowder,
Quicker and Healthier
Ingredients
- 1 large Russet potato, finely cubed (¼-inches)
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon + 3 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 6.5 oz chopped clams with their juice
- 16 oz clam juice
Instructions
- Bring the cubed potatoes to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook them halfway, just long enough to release the starch, and the cubes are still firm. Strain the water in a colander and set the potatoes aside.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, cook the onions and celery in the 1 tablespoon of butter until they sweat and become translucent. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, and the bay leaf.
- Stir in the par-cooked potatoes and add just enough water so the potatoes are covered. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes fall apart easily.
- Meanwhile, make a white roux. In a separate small saucepan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Gradually add the 3 tablespoons of flour to the butter and whisk thoroughly and constantly, until a thick white gravy forms and the flour taste is cooked out … about 3 to 5 minutes. To avoid the flour from overcooking, move it away from the heat as needed.
- Add the clam juice to the chowder pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Then, stir in your desired amount of the reserved white roux to thicken up as desired. Then add the chopped clams. Continue to simmer, and never let it come to a boil. Adjust seasoning as needed after the roux is thoroughly incorporated.
Yield: 4 cups
