Baba's Clam Chowder

PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES PLUS 1 HOUR SOAK TIME | COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES |SERVES: 8

My dad often made clam chowder around the holidays as a special treat for Thanksgiving or Christmas, which elevated its status in my family. When Dad brought home clams, we always knew what that meant. I’m not exactly sure where or when he learned to make clam chowder, but he did pick up a lot of recipes while he was in the army. I like to imagine that some tough, tattooed cook taught it to him on the sly during mess hall duties.

This is a classic chowder, hearty and creamy, and serving it with crusty bread or oyster crackers makes it extra satisfying. All things being equal, though, I really like this over rice, too. You can also make the soup thicker and serve it with linguini like a clam sauce. Try it out!

INGREDIENTS

• 6 to 7 pounds whole fresh clams (manila or cherrystone or smaller)

• 5 cups boiling water

  Have You Eaten Yet?: Family Recipes from a Restaurant Daughter (A Cookbook) Ming-Na Wen

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, divided

• 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)

• 11⁄2 cups diced celery

• 3 cups Idaho potatoes, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes

• 1⁄3 cup dry white wine

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Crusty bread, oyster crackers, or cooked white rice (see page 236), for serving (optional)

1. Rinse the clam shells, then place them in a plugged sink or in a large bowl with cold water to cover. Let the clams sit submerged for 30 minutes to allow them to “spit” out their sand. Remove the clams and discard the dirty water. Repeat the soak for another 30 minutes.

2. Bring 5 cups of water to boil in a wok or very large pot and add the clams. Gently stir them. They should begin opening within 2 to 5 minutes. As they open, transfer them to a large bowl with a large slotted spoon. Discard the clams that remain closed. Set aside and SAVE THE WATER! This is the delicious clam juice that will be used as broth.

3. Carefully pour most of the hot water into a large pot, bowl, or measuring cup. Discard the last 1⁄2 cup and any sand or dirt that settled in the bottom of the wok. Strain the reclaimed clam water through a very fine mess colander or cheesecloth to separate out any remaining dirt or sand. Another method is to let the water sit undisturbed in the bowl, to allow any remaining sediment to fall to the bottom. Then just ladle the clam juice from it as you use it, leaving the last 1⁄2 cup to discard.

4. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells. Have a small bowl handy to capture any little drops of juice to add to the clam water. Chop the clam meat into small pieces. Set aside. Discard the shells.

5. Heat a medium stockpot over medium heat and melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 7 minutes. When the onion is tender, add the celery and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

6. Add 4 cups of the clam juice water, the potatoes, white wine, and bay leaf. Bring it to boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and then stir in the chopped cooked clams and the cream.

7. In a separate small pot, over medium-high heat, make a roux by melting the remaining butter and slowly adding the flour. Continuously stir the roux and cook until it is smooth but not brown, about 3 minutes. Turn down the heat slightly as needed to prevent the roux from browning.

8. Bring the clam chowder to boil over medium-high heat and slowly stir in the roux to thicken. Stop when it’s a light stew consistency, but not like a gravy or dip texture. A chowder is best when it’s not too thick. Turn off the heat and stir a few times. Add the salt and continue to stir the chowder to make sure the roux is well blended and the chowder is smooth. Add black pepper to taste.

9. Serve with your favorite crusty bread or oyster crackers—or try it over rice.

Excerpted from HAVE YOU EATEN YET? Copyright © 2026, Ming-Na, Wen. Photography Copyright © 2026 by Jennifer Chong. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

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