Gordon Ramsay Clam Chowder Recipe

This Gordon Ramsay Clam Chowder Recipe is a creamy and hearty recipe, which is made with tender clams and smoky bacon. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe, ready in about 1 hour and 36 minutes.

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Gordon Ramsay Clam Chowder Ingredients

• 6 strips thick-cut bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (or ½ teaspoon Tabasco)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 240 ml chicken broth
• 720 ml Half and Half
• 240 ml clam juice
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 bay leaf
• 560 g potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 cans chopped clams, juices reserved
• Fresh parsley and cracked black pepper, for serving

Seasonings:

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

How To Make Gordon Ramsay Clam Chowder

1. Cook the Bacon: In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon strips over low-medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, set it aside on a paper towel, and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot.
2. Sauté the Vegetables: Add the butter to the bacon fat in the pot. Add the diced onion and celery and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have softened but not browned.
3. Bloom Spices and Aromatics: Stir in the minced garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and all the dried seasonings (oregano, parsley, thyme, salt, paprika, pepper). Cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
4. Make the Roux: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste and creates a thickening base, known as a roux.
5. Build the Creamy Base: Slowly pour in the chicken broth and Half and Half, whisking continuously to prevent lumps and create a smooth, creamy base.
6. Simmer with Potatoes: Stir in the clam juice, the chicken bouillon cube, and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the diced potatoes and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
7. Add Clams and Finish: Stir in the chopped clams (and their reserved juices). Cook for just 5 more minutes to heat the clams through. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
8. Serve: Ladle the hot chowder into bowls. Garnish with the crumbled cooked bacon, fresh parsley, and a crack of black pepper.

Recipe Tips

• How to get the most flavor from bacon? Cook the bacon low and slow. This renders the fat properly without burning it, creating a flavorful base for the chowder and resulting in perfectly crispy bacon bits for the topping.
• Why shouldn’t I brown the vegetables? You should “sweat” the onions and celery by cooking them gently until they are soft and translucent. Browning them would create a caramelized, bitter flavor that doesn’t belong in a classic, creamy chowder.
• How do I keep the clams from getting tough? Add the canned clams at the very end of the cooking process. They are already cooked, so they only need to be warmed through. Overcooking them will make them rubbery and chewy.
• What’s the best way to reheat chowder? Reheat it slowly in a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cream-based soups can separate or scorch if heated too quickly. If it has thickened too much in the fridge, stir in a splash of broth or milk to bring it back to the right consistency.

What To Serve With Clam Chowder

This hearty soup is a meal in itself, but these classic pairings complete it perfectly.

• Oyster crackers or saltine crackers
• A loaf of crusty sourdough bread for dipping
• A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette

How To Store Clam Chowder

• Refrigerate: Store leftover chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors will continue to develop and can be even better the next day. Freezing is not recommended as dairy-based soups can separate and become grainy when thawed.

Clam Chowder Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 240 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Protein: 12g
• Fat: 11g
• Sodium: 750mg

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Gordon Ramsay Mushroom Soup Recipe
• Gordon Ramsay Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe