New England Clam Chowder

New England clam chowder is a thick, creamy soup of clams, potatoes and salt pork, simmered together with onion and milk. It is New England's own dish, and the one most Americans picture first when they hear the word chowder.

What it really is

Salt pork or bacon renders in the pot, then onion and celery soften in the fat. Diced potatoes go in with the clam liquor — the briny liquid saved from steaming or shucking the clams — along with a sprig of thyme, and simmer until nearly tender. A butter-and-flour roux thickens the base before milk or cream and the chopped clams go in at the end, warmed through rather than boiled, so the clams stay tender rather than turning rubbery.

The name protects the recipe. A tomato-based version made in New York, called Manhattan clam chowder, is common enough that a bill was once introduced in the Maine legislature to ban tomatoes from chowder altogether. Cream, not tomato, is the New England line.

How it is served

• Hot, in a bowl or a hollowed-out bread bowl, with oyster crackers on the side.
• Ladled thick — a good chowder holds a spoon standing upright for a moment.
• Sometimes finished with a pat of butter and chopped chives.

How to write it on the menu

• Say "New England" or "creamy" to separate it from the tomato-based Manhattan style.
• Note the cream, milk and butter; a roux-thickened chowder also carries wheat.
• Flag molluscs and celery — both recognised allergens in this dish.