Want to know what I did on the hottest day of the year??
I made soup.
Not a quick fix, but a proper, time-intensive soup—the kind that starts with homemade stock and slow-building flavor. Serious business.
And I made my husband eat it. On the HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR.
Hitting 100°F in the Pittsburgh area is rare, but that didn’t stop me from keeping the gas stove on for about four hours last Friday. Would you expect anything less? Probably not.
I have to give my husband credit—this soup almost didn’t happen. I’d been planning to make fresh clam chowder for over two years and assumed one of the stores I’d visit would have fresh clams. None did. I was crushed.
I bought canned clams and expensive canned clam stock just in case, and then frantically texted anyone I knew who might be downtown to grab fresh clams for me. No luck—everyone had their own plans. Fortunately, my husband was returning from a week away and turned around on his way home with a brown paper bag full of littleneck clams on ice. Crisis averted.
It felt like Christmas.
We’ve basically been ships passing in the night since the start of June—he’s been away a lot and I’ve traveled across the country several times. Oddly, it works for us. I enjoy having the house to myself and getting a little eccentric when I’m alone; he’s content in his ways. Still, I wanted to welcome him home properly, even if I was leaving again in 36 hours. So despite the heat and the logistics, that chowder was happening—no matter what.
And to finish it off: croutons. Not just any croutons, but golden cubes of bread tossed in brown butter and garlic.
Speaking of croutons, on the drive home I asked him what he’d been eating while I was away. “Salad,” he said. “Lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, hard-boiled eggs.”
Croutons? Did you make your own? I asked. No—he’d bought boxed croutons. I confess I’m a crouton snob. After I’d made brown butter garlic croutons, buying boxed ones two days later seemed like a crime.
Long story short: fresh clam chowder is now a summer tradition in my kitchen. This version is creamy but light—not the heavy, gluey chowder you sometimes get in restaurants. It still melts in your mouth and evokes sunshine, beaches, and ocean air—without any sand.
Chopped Yukon Gold potatoes, a bit of crispy bacon, fresh herbs, and a generous splash of cream come together to deliver comfort in a bowl.
Fresh New England Clam Chowder
serves 8–10
6 pounds fresh littleneck clams
10 cups water
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 1/2 cups cleaned, sliced leeks
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add clams, cover, and cook 5 minutes; stir, then cook another 5–10 minutes, covered, until clams open. Remove clams with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl or colander. Pour the cooking water through a very fine strainer several times to remove sediment and sand, reserving 6 cups of the broth. Shuck the clams, discard shells, and coarsely chop the clam meat.
In a clean large pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy and the fat renders. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reduce heat to low, add butter, then add onions and leeks with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and cook another 5 minutes. Increase heat slightly and whisk in flour, cooking 1–2 minutes to form a light roux with the vegetables.
Add potatoes, chopped clams, bacon, and reserved clam broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 30 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning if needed. Let the chowder rest briefly while you make the croutons, then serve hot topped with croutons.
Note: canned chopped clams (about 4 cans) and water or bottled seafood stock can be used as a substitute for fresh clams and broth.
Brown Butter Garlic Croutons
1 loaf French bread, cut into cubes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake 10–12 minutes, tossing every 3 minutes, until evenly golden.
While the bread toasts, brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until small brown bits form, about 5–6 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk 15 seconds more, then stir in the pressed garlic and whisk for 1 minute. Let the butter sit until the bread is done.
When the bread cubes are toasted, pour the garlic brown butter over them and toss quickly to coat. Serve the croutons atop hot bowls of clam chowder.
The croutons are basically a meal themselves. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.