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    Home / Maritimes Kitchen / Clam Chowder

    Clam Chowder

    Maritime clam chowder recipe: a creamy Atlantic chowder with soft potatoes, clams and a whisper of salt pork, thickened the old way with butter and flour.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 30 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 Maritimes KitchenCategory
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    Creamy Maritime clam chowder with clams, potatoes and bacon

    Clams have fed the people of the Maritimes since before the first settlers arrived — the Mi’kmaq harvested them from the Fundy mudflats, and the Europeans who followed learned to build their chowder around them. It is the dish that turned a humble shellfish into the region’s most comforting bowl.

    Maritime clam chowder is unapologetically creamy, thickened with butter and flour and finished with a little cream, with salt pork lending a smoky backbone. No tomatoes here — just clams, potatoes, and a broth so good you will be scraping the pot.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Steam the fresh clams in 1/2 cup of water until they open, about 5 minutes, then strain and reserve the liquid and chop the meat.
    2. Cook the diced salt pork or bacon in a large pot until crisp, then add the onion and celery and cook until soft.
    3. Stir in the butter and flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk and the reserved clam liquid.
    4. Add the diced potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes until tender.
    5. Stir in the chopped clams and cream and heat through gently without boiling, then season with thyme, salt and pepper and finish with parsley.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    If you are using canned clams, save the juice — it is pure flavour and belongs in the pot. The chowder is even better the next day, once the flavours have had a chance to meld.

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    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook30 min
    Servings4
    CategoryMaritimes Kitchen
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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