Bumpy's Clam Chowder — the shortlists

When visiting New England, our childhood home, I can rarely pass up a clam chowder on a menu. Even the watery chowders, the chowders with no clams and lots of grit - I love them all. But I don’t have to settle for bad chowder — my uncle Bumpy makes one of the best.

Bumpy is a force and a damn good cook. He’s one of my favorite people and his version of clam chowder is one of my favorite foods. Bumpy and my aunt Claire lived on Martha’s Vineyard for 40 years; he would go out and dig for the quahogs himself, shucking them on the porch into a bucket. Bumpy’s chowder recipe remains faithful to the New England tradition. It’s easy to make and easy to love.

Uncle Bumpy’s Vineyard Chowder

If you, like me, buy your clams in the market, make sure you give them a good rinse to get rid of excess sand. A little sand in your chowder is okay, it’s part of the experience. My instructions are for store-bought, uncooked, in-their-shell clams. See Bumpy’s instructions below for shucked clams! If you live in a country with no half & half, which is 10% fat, feel free to substitute single cream. And last thing, try to have oyster crackers on hand - they make all the difference.

These quantities make a big batch of chowder for around 6 - 8 main courses.

around 30 large clams in their shells (Bumpy’s instructions read: “1 qt. quahogs including their liquor (measure the liquor and double the liquor with water, so it’s one part liquor two parts water)”
1/4 pound salt pork, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1/2 - 1 cup flour
4 medium potatoes, peeled cut into 1/2-inch dice ( about 3 cups )
3 cups half & half (or single cream)
black pepper
2 tablespoons butter (Bumpy calls for adding this at the end)
oyster crackers

For uncooked clams: Wash the clams shells then bring a few inches of water in boil in a large pot. Carefully place the clams in the boiling water and cover the pot, letting the clams cook on high for a few minutes. Check the pot to make sure the clams have opened. Once they have opened, turn off the heat. Using tongs, remove the shells from the pot to allow them to be cool enough to handle. Save the liquid in the pot and reduce it somewhat.

Meanwhile, chop the salt pork, onions and potatoes. In another large pot, gently cook the salt pork (a process called rendering, in the pot so it releases lots of fat. Add in the diced onions and cook until soft. Meanwhile, remove the clams from the shells. Chop the clams finely and add them to the pot.

Cook and stir over medium heat until it starts to bubble around the edges. Then add in enough flour to form a big ball. It’ll be at least 1/2 cup of flour, so start from there and keep adding until it all clumps together. (See photo.)

Next add in the potatoes and start to ladle in the clam broth until the potatoes are covered by 1 inch of liquid. You may need to add more water. Put the cover back on and cook over medium heat, stirring every so often, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the half & half. It will continue to thicken a bit as it cools. Add lots of freshly ground black pepper. It’s best made (at least) a few hours in advance so the flavors can mingle.

Serve in bowls with oyster crackers.

BUMPY’S INSTRUCTIONS:

Start by rendering the salt pork in a cooking pot. Add the onions and soften them.Remove clams from the liquor and finely chop then add them to the pot. When this mix starts to boil around the edges add enough flour to make the whole mix a thick ball. Add the liquor, the water and the potatoes ( you can add more water if the potatoes are not covered by one inch ) cook until potatoes are cooked. Next comes the h+h, the salt and the pepper.