NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

WE WANTED TO DEVELOP A DELICIOUS, traditional chowder that was economical, would not curdle, and could be prepared quickly. Before testing recipes, we explored our clam options. Because chowders are typically made with hard-shell clams, we purchased a variety (from smallest to largest): cockles, littlenecks, cherrystones, and chowder clams, often called quahogs.

Although littlenecks and cockles made delicious chowders, we eliminated them; both were just too expensive to toss into a chowder pot. Chowders made with the cheapest clams, however, weren't really satisfactory, either. The quahogs we purchased for testing were large (four to five inches in diameter), tough, and strong-flavored. Their oversized bellies (and the contents therein) gave the chowder an overbearing mineral taste that frustrated our efforts to develop a smooth, rich flavor.

Though only a little more expensive, cherrystones offer good value and flavor. The chowder made from these slightly smaller clams was distinctly clam-flavored, without an inky aftertaste. Because there are no industry sizing standards for each clam variety, you may find some small quahogs labeled as cherrystones or large cherrystones labeled as quahogs. No matter what their designation, clams much over three inches in diameter will deliver a distinctly metallic chowder.

Steaming clams open is far easier than shucking them. Five minutes over simmering water, and the clams open as naturally as a budding flower. Ours did not toughen up as long as we pulled them from the pot as soon as they opened and didn't let them cook too long in the finished chowder.

The extra step of purging, or filtering, hard-shell clams is unnecessary. All of the hard-shells we tested were relatively clean, and what little sediment there was sank to the bottom of the steaming liquid. Getting rid of the grit was as simple as leaving the last few tablespoons of broth in the pan when pouring it from the pot. If you find that your clam broth is gritty, strain it through a coffee filter.

Older recipes call for thickening clam chowder with crumbled biscuits; bread crumbs and crackers are modern stand-ins. Standard chowders thickened with bread crumbs or crackers failed to impress. We wanted a smooth, creamy soup base for the potatoes, onions, and clams, but no matter how long the chowder was simmered, neither the bread crumbs nor the crackers ever completely dissolved into the cooking liquid. Heavy cream alone, by contrast, did not give the chowder enough body. We discovered fairly quickly that flour would be necessary, not only as a thickener but as a stabilizer; unthickened chowders separate and curdle.

Because chowders call for potatoes, some cooks suggest that starchy baking potatoes, which tend to break down when boiled, can double as a thickener. We found that the potatoes did not break down sufficiently but instead simply became mushy. Red boiling potatoes are best for chowders.

Should the chowder be enriched with milk or cream? We found that so much milk was required to make it look and taste creamy that the chowder started to lose its clam flavor, becoming more like mild bisque or the clam equivalent of oyster stew. Making the chowder with almost all clam broth (five cups of the cooking liquid from the steaming clams) and then finishing it with a cup of cream gave us what we were looking for—a rich, creamy chowder that tasted distinctly of clams.