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Clam chowder

Published: 8 Mar 17
Updated: 8 Oct 24

There’s no soup more comforting than a proper clam chowder – made with chorizo, sherry, fresh clams and cream. Serve with crusty bread to soak up every last drop.

And if you want to make this recipe a little more budget-friendly, use frozen clams or mussels instead.

Our sweetcorn chowder makes another nourishing winter soup – plus it’s vegan too.

Easy
February 2017

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 50 min

There’s no soup more comforting than a proper clam chowder – made with chorizo, sherry, fresh clams and cream. Serve with crusty bread to soak up every last drop.

And if you want to make this recipe a little more budget-friendly, use frozen clams or mussels instead.

Our sweetcorn chowder makes another nourishing winter soup – plus it’s vegan too.

Nutrition: For 6

Calories: 896kcals
Fat: 62g (33.6g saturated)
Protein: 33.5g
Carbohydrates: 31.7g (8.3g sugars)
Fibre: 5.4g
Salt: 5.3g

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Ingredients

250ml dry white wine
50g butter
2kg cleaned clams
Olive oil for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely sliced
1 leek, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp hot chilli powder
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
200g cooking chorizo, sliced
600g maris piper potatoes, diced
400ml whole milk
400ml double cream
200ml dry sherry (we used oloroso)
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
Bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped

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Method

In a large pan with a lid, bring 300ml water, the wine and 30g of the butter to the boil. Add the clams, put the lid on and cook for 4-5 minutes until the shells open. Immediately strain the clams through a sieve lined with muslin over a bowl (reserve the cooking water).
Remove the clams from their shells, gently rinse under cold water to clean off any grit, then put in a bowl, cover with damp kitchen paper and chill.
Pour a glug of oil into a large deep pan over a medium heat and add the remaining butter. Add the onion, celery and leek and fry for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the garlic, chilli powder, paprika and chorizo. Turn up the heat and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

Add the potatoes, milk and reserved cooking liquid, then simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. With a masher, gently mash some of the potato to thicken the soup. Don’t worry if it curdles; stir in the cream, sherry, lemon juice and zest, cooked clams and parsley. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Recipe from February 2017 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 896kcals
Fat: 62g (33.6g saturated)
Protein: 33.5g
Carbohydrates: 31.7g (8.3g sugars)
Fibre: 5.4g
Salt: 5.3g

delicious. tips

You can use frozen clams or substitue fresh mussels in this recipe to reduce costs.
What to look for when you buy: the shells can be open or closed, but when you tap them on a hard surface there should be some movement to show the clams are alive. Ask your fishmonger when they were caught and make sure the shells aren’t damaged or broken.

How to clean and prepare fresh clams: discard any with broken shells. Half an hour before you want to start cooking, fill a clean sink with enough very cold water to cover the clams, then add 4-5 tbsp salt – it should taste as salty as the sea. Leave the clams to soak for 30 minutes. This will help clean out any sand or grit that’s lurking inside the shells.