Diff between Manhattan & New England Clam Chowder?

[buckytom]

it's made fresh every 86 years or so.

[ironchef]

Originally Posted by buckytom

it's made fresh every 86 years or so.

Sorry BT couldn't resist. And to think Steinbrenner had a chance to get him...

[Robo410]

I love clams. I love all clam chowder, and will order it where and whenever. I was at a restaurant once where both were served and had a bowl of both!

Soup is good food!

[auntdot]

Agree with Robo that soup is good food.

Love the stuff.

Since our last post, went to a restaurant and had a sorta, kinda New England style clam chowda (can't resist the pronunciation) that was clearly made with a roux.

But it worked.

I guess there are all sorts of ways to make a chowda.

And although I do prefer the New England style variant, gotta make a Manhattan style one of these days.

[BreezyCooking]

The Boston Clam Chowder recipes I've run across all seem to be virtually identical to New England Clam Chowder recipes.

[auntdot]

Have to agree with Breezy, heck if I can find a difference.

Sorry to keep posting but clam chowder variations are something that have confused me.

A few years ago read an piece in a book that said there were only three variations: Manhattan, New England, and Rhode Island. And I do not remember exactly what the Rhode Island variation was supposed to be (and cannot find the book now). But, as I recall, and please don't trust my memory, it was supposed to be a grayish, not very thick, soup. Sorta like a New England chowder but without the milk products. Whether it was supposed to be made from a roux, I do not remember.

Have Googled many times and finally decided that I could not find such a thing.

Found a recipe from the last governor of the state, Lincoln Almond, The ingredients seemed just like good old New England clam chowder, except it left out the bacon/ fat back (there was plenty of flour, and milk and cream). Seems just like the New England version.

So I guess if there is an authentic 'Rhode Island clam chowder' made without milk/cream, the ex-governor either does not like it or has never heard of it.

If anyone knows anything more about Rhode Island clam chowder would love to hear it.

What I have found is that the major difference between the 'white chowders' seems to be in the amount of flour used.

Went to Jasper White's book. He specifically shuns the addition of any thickener, relying only upon the starch from the potatoes to add what thickening they do. But he sure does add cream.

Other recipes utilize varying amounts of flour and fat (roux).

That is all I know about clam chowder, but would love to learn more.

[BreezyCooking]

Re: Rhode Island Clam Chowder, several online sources describe it as a "clear broth" clam chowder. Pretty much the same solid ingredients as New England Clam Chowder, but absolutely no milk or cream, or any type of roux. The clam broth gets its slight thickness from using starchy rather than waxy potatoes as one of the ingredients.

[auntdot]

Thanks Breezy, did do some Googling but didn't find that.

[BreezyCooking]

Hey - that happens to me CONSTANTLY. I just got lucky with a search thru Yahoo. I know that everyone says Google is "da bomb" as far as search engines, but I've found that depending on what I'm looking for, it's anyone's guess what search engine will turn up what.

Getting back to the chowders, I grew up on Long Island, NY, & all the "Manhattan Clam Chowders" I remember from waterfront seafood restaurants (as well as the one my parents made from clams we harvested ourselves), were more clam broth based than anything else. They did have tomatoes in them & were called "Manhattan-style" because of the tomatoes, but the tomatoes were pieces of cooked tomato broth, not the more tomato-soup types you often see in other parts of the country.

[Trishness]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on your site and I just had to chime in about the "chowdah" topic. I was born in CT and lived there for most of my life near the shoreline town of Mystic (and YES, there really is a Mystic Pizza!)

Manhattan Clam Chowder is tomato based as many of you mentioned in your posts~~~~however New England Clam Chowder, while most of the time is milk based, it can also depend on what area of New England you are in. For example, in most of Rhode Island, it is clear broth based and is known as either New England Clam Chowder or Rhode Island Clam Chowder. I love all chowders but my preference is for the clear broth based and I used to make that quite frequently when I lived in CT. Unfortunately, no one out here in Arizona seems to know what a quahog is (imagine that!!!) so I have to substitute ingredients and alter my recipe somewhat......I do miss the fresh seafood of New England!

Trish