This, dear reader, is a very special recipe.

If you’ve never had the good fortune to meet a bowl of my dad’s Manhattan clam chowder, I’m assigning you some homework: first, go find your scissors and cut this one out - it’s a keeper.  Second, be sure to stop at the upcoming Election Day soup sale at the Delaware Youth Center from 11 am to 7 pm and pick some up for yourself. Soup tastes better after you vote!

If you have had a bowl before, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For my entire life, I have been lucky enough to be raised on this Manhattan clam chowder, its recipe having been passed down in my family for generations. 

Every year my dad prepares a large batch for the Delaware Hunting Club’s annual clam bake (he and my brother, grandfather, and great-grandfather have all been members, back to its founding in 1938) and it has become a many-decades-long tradition.  

Before getting started, a helpful tip my father always says is: make sure your mise en place is in place. This is a French culinary term that means “putting in place” or “gathering,” referring to making sure all your ingredients are prepared and ready to go. 

Make sure that all dicing, peeling, and measuring are completed and organized before you begin to cook the bacon, because the recipe moves very quickly once you pass that point!

You’ll need:

2 slices of bacon

1 tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon celery seed

2 bay leaves

12 oz tomato juice, strained tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes (Dad likes to use different varieties of V-8 on occasion)

1 (14 oz) can clam juice

2 (10 oz) cans baby clams, juice reserved 

1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

salt and pepper to taste

one dozen live small littleneck clams in shell (optional)

In a large pot, slowly cook the bacon in olive oil until the fat is rendered and the bacon crispy. Remove the bacon, chop, and set aside.

Increase heat to medium high and sauté the carrots, celery, and onion for four to five minutes or until soft and translucent but be sure not to brown the vegetables. 

Be patient, it may take a little longer.

Return the chopped bacon to the pot, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. 

Add the herbs, tomato juice, clam broth, and reserved juice from the canned clams. Mix well, then add the potatoes. 

Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes are done. 

Again, patience is the key and the vegetables need to be nice and soft.

When the potatoes are tender, add the canned and live clams(optional), cover, and continue simmering until the clam shells open (about five to ten minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.  I enjoy garnishing with hot sauce and a slice of crusty bread.

One more tip from my dad: the longer this Manhattan clam chowder sits and simmers, the better it becomes. Live clams with their shells are not required, but add a beautiful finishing touch. 

It also freezes extremely well and can be taken out to enjoy on a cold winter day.

I hope you enjoy it.

Claire Stabbert is an accomplished cook who loves to try new recipes. While she does enjoy eating at restaurants, she also loves to whip up a good meal at home. Claire gets some of her cooking inspiration from her grandfather and grandmother, Fred and Shirley Stabbert as well as Great Grandma Nellie.