Regional Cuisine – New England Clam Chowder

By John Sanderson


Sea air, crisp apples, the       flour roux is a better base   
brisk, spice of fallen leaves    than clam liquor. Secret      
there are few things that        recipes abound and everyone  
say autumn in New England like   has their favorites.          
the scents that seem to                                        
buffet the senses from           My own personal favorite is   
everywhere. Among those          the thick, creamy, eat-it-with
marvelous treats for the         -a-fork variety of clam       
senses are popular dishes from   chowder served at Legal       
appetizer to dessert that you    Seafood and Au Bon Pain in    
just won't find or at least     Boston. Rich and laden with   
won't find quite the same way    chunks of potato, meaty bits  
anywhere else in the            of clam, onions, garlic and   
country. If you doubt it,        salt pork, it's a meal rather
there's always an ad that was    than an opener for one. Served
popular this past autumn        with a slab of homemade bread 
after the Red Sox won the        slathered with butter, it's   
World Series. In it, a man was   guaranteed to raise your      
explaining, Son, when you        cholesterol level and please  
live in New England there are    your taste buds for hours.    
three basic truths... clam                                     
chowder is white                 While many chefs cry          
                                 sacrilege, others believe that
And the other two truths         fresh corn adds the perfect   
don't matter. We New             touch of crisp sweetness to   
Englanders take our clam         the rich broth and pungent    
chowder seriously. Up and down   bits of clam meat. Corn isn't
the New England coast            the only bone of contention   
throughout the autumn, nearly    when it comes to this regional
every town and township has      specialty. Purists insist     
its Chowder Festival.            that the only real ingredients
Throughout the six states,       in clam chowder are clams,    
restaurants cook up pots of      water, milk, onions, potatoes
chowder from their best          and butter. They argue whether
recipes and compete to be        chowder should be made with   
named Best Clam Chowder. The     mussels or littlenecks if     
granddaddy of all New England    you're in Maine, it's         
Chowder Festivals is held in     littlenecks in Connecticut,  
Newport, Rhode Island, where     mussels. Anywhere else it    
dozens of area restaurants       varies, whether to add the    
compete for the title of         clam bellies or just the      
'America's Best Clam             necks, even whether clams     
Chowder'.                        should be steamed 'virgin' or
                                 with garlic, wine or beer.    
It's a simple enough dish,                                     
but like chili in Texas and      Whether you like your chowder 
crab cakes in Maryland, every    thick or thin, with or        
cook has their own special       without corn, flavored with   
twist on the recipe. There are   salt pork or bacon or         
the basics: clams, potatoes      something else entirely, there
and milk. From there, it's       is one thing on which all New 
every chef for himself. Some     Englanders agree clam        
swear that clam chowder          chowder is white. We're not   
without salt pork is just        sure what it is that they     
potage. Others insist that       serve in Manhattan but it's  
clam chowder can't be made       not clam chowder.             
without onion. Chefs nearly                                    
come to blows over whether                                     
heavy cream should ever be                                     
used and why a butter and        

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