What Makes New England Clam Chowder Different | Summer Shack | Award-Winning Seafood Restaurants in CT & MA (2024)

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What Makes New England Clam Chowder Different | Summer Shack | Award-Winning Seafood Restaurants in CT & MA? ›

Summer Shack Chef, Jasper White, also shares his secret of smashing the potatoes for extra thickness in the chowder, and salt pork for some smokiness that'll contrast the creaminess. The thickness of New England clam chowder is what makes it so delectable.

New England clam chowder is thick, creamy, and milky-white. Manhattan clam chowder is tomatoey, brothy, and clear. Both types share a clean, briny, and slightly-sweet flavor thanks to the clams—but that's about it.

New England Clam Chowder: (230g): calories 230, calories from fat 120, total fat 13g, saturated fat 9g, trans fat 0g, cholesterol 70mg, sodium 820mg, total carbohydrate 13g, dietary fiber 1g, sugars 3g, protein 11g, vitamin a 8%, vitamin c 6%, calcium 10%, iron 8%.

Manhattan Clam Chowder is healthier than New England Clam Chowder. Manhattan Clam Chowder is lower in calories and fat. It is more nutritious thanks to its vitamin-rich tomato-based broth and abundance of veggies. New England clam chowder is higher in calories and fat because of its heavy cream-based broth.

Maine and Massachusetts may be the two states most associated with the cream-based clam chowder. In fact, it is known as one of Maine's most iconic dishes and is considered a classic in Boston's historic neighborhoods.

New England clam chowder is perhaps the most popular and well-known iteration of the dish. It's a classic combination of clams, onions, corn, celery, bacon or salt pork, and potatoes.

This clam chowder recipe should produce perfectly rich soup. If you'd like your chowder a little thicker, though, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. Simply stir cornstarch into a small amount of cold water (or another liquid, such as wine or stock), then stir the mixture into the simmering chowder.

Maine, followed by Massachusetts, is best known for clam chowder. While the whoopie pie is the official state treat of Maine, the state's New England clam chowder is world famous. Cream or milk-based “white” chowder is widely preferred over tomato-based “red” Manhattan clam chowder.

Smelling and looking at your clam chowder is a great way to tell if it's spoiled. You're likely dealing with spoiled soup if it has an off smell, mold appears, or if the texture has become watery or slimy. The presence of an off color, especially a darker shade, can also be an indication of spoilage.

Clam chowder is also rich in potassium, which can help prevent high blood pressure. You can make your chowder healthier using low-fat dairy alternatives such as oat milk or soy milk instead of full-fat cream. Add turkey bacon or shiitake bacon to your dish for added flavor.

Is clam chowder bad for cholesterol? ›

A 1-cup serving of chowder contains 18 mg of cholesterol and 688 mg of sodium, or almost 30 percent of the total daily recommended sodium intake for healthy adults.

CLAM CHOWDER VERSUS LOBSTER BISQUE

You might think all clam chowders are equal, but the Manhattan version is tomato-based, whereas the New England kind is made with milk or cream, which makes it much more fattening. But when it comes to calories, lobster bisque, which is made with heavy cream, is the highest of all.

Although clam chowder is not a low-calorie food, it does provide you with some essential nutrients, and you can still include it – in moderation – in a healthy meal plan. But overindulging in clam chowder, especially New England clam chowder, can cause you exceed your daily calorie allotment and gain weight.

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.

But West Coast clams, as I discovered, are very different than their Eastern brethren. Some sources describe them as more delicate and buttery than burlier, juicier East Coast clams. To compensate for their milder flavors, some chowders in Oregon and Washington incorporate bacon to add savoriness.

Manhattan Chowder

Manhattan Cowder is characterized by its hearty red-color and tomatoes, which are used in place of milk or cream. Other vegetables including peppers, celery, and carrots are also used in this variation of chowder. This form of chowder also lacks thickness, similar to Rhode Island's style.

Chowder vs. Soup: What's the Difference? While soups can be thin and light, a chowder is characterized by being rich and thick. Like stew, it contains large chunks of meat or seafood and vegetables, notably potatoes.

The word chowder is a corruption of the French chaudière (“cauldron”), and chowder may have originated among Breton fishermen who brought the custom to Newfoundland, whence it spread to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and New England.

This Vegan Clam Chowder is inspired by the classic New England Clam Chowder. It's made with a thick and creamy non-dairy milk base, tender potatoes, fragrant aromatics, and oyster mushrooms as the perfect clams substitute. Serve with oyster crackers and fresh parsley for the ultimate dinner tonight!