Type | Chowder |
---|---|
Place of origin | United States |
Region or state | New England |
Invented | 18th century [1] [2] |
Main ingredients | Clams, potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Cream or tomatoes may be added. |
Variations | New England clam chowder, Manhattan clam chowder, Rhode Island clam chowder, others |
Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine containing clams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Other vegetables are not typically used. It is believed that clams were used in chowder because of the relative ease of harvesting them. [3] Clam chowder is usually served with saltine crackers or small, hexagonal oyster crackers.
The dish originated in the Northeastern United States, but is now commonly served in restaurants throughout the country. Many regional variations exist, but the three most prevalent are New England or "white" clam chowder, which includes milk or cream, Manhattan or "red" clam chowder, which includes tomatoes, and Rhode Island or "clear" clam chowder, which omits both.
Early documentation of "clam chowder" as we know it today did not contain milk and was thickened during cooking using crackers or stale bread. [4] The first recipe for Manhattan clam chowder, with tomatoes and no milk, was published before 1919, [5] and the current name was attested in 1934.
As recipes for clam chowder spread throughout the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, many regionally developed variants have arisen.
Manhattan clam chowder has a red, tomato-based broth and unlike New England clam chowder there is no milk or cream. Manhattan-style chowder also usually contains other vegetables, such as celery and carrots to create a mirepoix. [6] Thyme is often used as a seasoning.
Many sources attribute its creation to Rhode Island's Portuguese fishing communities who were known both for their traditional tomato-based stews and for their frequent travels to New York City's Fulton Fish Market during the mid-1800s. [7] While Rhode Island clam chowder is clear, it was relatively common in Rhode Island for some cooks to add tomato sauce to their chowder. In Rhode Island this style chowder is also frequently referred to as "Rocky Point Clam Chowder" [8] as it was a popular menu item at the Rocky Point Amusement Park Shore Dinner Hall since the park opened in 1847. [9]
This chowder was at times called by various names including "Clam Chowder – Coney Island Style" (1893). [10] Manhattan clam chowder is included in Victor Hirtzler's Hotel St. Francis Cookbook (1919) and "The Delmonico Cook Book" (1890) as "clam chowder". [5] [11] The "Manhattan" name is first attested in a 1934 cookbook. [1]
New England clam chowder, occasionally referred to as Boston or Boston-style clam chowder, [12] is a milk- or cream-based chowder, and is often of a thicker consistency than other regional styles. It is commonly made with milk, butter, potatoes, salt pork, onion, and clams. [13] Flour or, historically, crushed hard tack may be added as a thickener.
New England clam chowder is usually accompanied by oyster crackers. Crackers may be crushed and mixed into the soup for thickener, or used as a garnish. [14]
Rhode Island clam chowder is made with clear broth, and contains no dairy or tomatoes. It is common in southeastern Rhode Island through eastern Connecticut. [6] In Rhode Island, it is sometimes called "South County Style" referring to Washington County, where it apparently originated.
Long Island clam chowder is part New England–style and part Manhattan-style, making it a pinkish creamy tomato clam chowder. The name is intended as humorous: Long Island is between Manhattan and New England. [15] The two parent chowders are typically cooked separately before being poured in the same bowl. This variant is popular in many small restaurants across Suffolk County, New York. [16]
New England cuisine is an American cuisine which originated in the New England region of the United States, and traces its roots to traditional English cuisine and Native American cuisine of the Abenaki, Narragansett, Niantic, Wabanaki, Wampanoag, and other native peoples. It also includes influences from Irish, French-Canadian, Italian, and Portuguese cuisine, among others. It is characterized by extensive use of potatoes, beans, dairy products and seafood, resulting from its historical reliance on its seaports and fishing industry. Corn, the major crop historically grown by Native American tribes in New England, continues to be grown in all New England states, primarily as sweet corn although flint corn is grown as well. It is traditionally used in hasty puddings, cornbreads and corn chowders.
Chowder is a thick soup prepared with milk or cream, a roux, and seafood or vegetables. Oyster crackers or saltines may accompany chowders as a side item, and cracker pieces may be dropped atop the dish. New England clam chowder is typically made with chopped clams and diced potatoes, in a mixed cream and milk base, often with a small amount of butter. Other common chowders include seafood chowder, which often consists of fish, clams, and other types of shellfish; lamb or veal chowder made with barley; corn chowder, which uses corn instead of clams; various fish chowders; and potato chowder, which is often made with cheese. Fish, corn, and clam chowders are popular in North America, especially Atlantic Canada and New England.
Clam soup is a soup prepared using clams as a primary ingredient. Clam soup can be prepared as a thin, broth- or cream/milk-based soup and as a thicker, chowder-style soup. In Japan, hot miso soup prepared with clams is believed by some to be a cure for the hangover.
Smetana is the English-language name for the types of sour cream traditionally prevalent in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It is a dairy product produced by souring heavy cream. It is similar to crème fraîche, but nowadays mainly sold with 9% to 42% milkfat content depending on the country. Its cooking properties are different from crème fraîche and the lighter sour creams sold in the US, which contain 12 to 16% butterfat. It is widely used in cooking and baking.
Corn chowder is a chowder soup prepared using corn as a primary ingredient. Basic corn chowder is commonly made of corn, onion, celery, milk or cream, and butter. Additional ingredients sometimes used include potatoes or squash, salt pork, fish, seafood and chicken. In the United States, recipes for corn chowder date to at least as early as 1884. Corn chowder is mass-produced as a canned food in the U.S.
Cacciucco is an Italian fish stew native to the western coastal towns of Tuscany. It is especially associated with the port city of Livorno, in Tuscany, and the town of Viareggio north of it.
Cream of mushroom soup is a simple type of soup where a basic roux is thinned with cream or milk and then mushrooms or mushroom broth are added.
Fish soup is a food made by combining fish or seafood with vegetables and stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.
Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot, that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid (broth) than stews.
Chicken mull is a traditional dish from North Carolina, upstate South Carolina and Georgia. It is a type of stew consisting of parboiled whole chicken in a cream- or milk-based broth, butter and seasoned with salt, pepper and other ingredients. Traditionally, the stew is served in the late fall and winter months. In northern Georgia, this part of the year is often referred to as "mull season". Often the term "chicken stew" or "chicken mull" refers to an event or gathering where the dish is served.
Oyster stew is a stew made with oysters. It is popular in the United States and in The Gambia.
Bermuda fish chowder is a chowder soup that is considered the national dish of Bermuda. Its basic ingredients are fish, tomatoes and onions seasoned with black rum and hot sauce. The recipe is believed to have been created in the 17th century by English colonists in Bermuda.
Clam juice is a broth derived from steamed clams, which can be consumed on its own or used as an ingredient in various dishes and beverages.