Gordon Ramsay Clam Chowder Recipe

The First Time I Screwed This Up…

You’d think clam chowder would be simple, right?
It’s soup. How hard could it be?
Well, my first try was a total disaster.
The bacon tasted burnt, the broth was gritty from raw flour, and the clams?
Chewy little rubber balls.
It was sad.
I didn’t know what “layering flavors” meant. I just threw stuff into a pot and prayed.
Not a great plan.

Then I watched Gordon do it.
Low heat. Patience. Baste the veggies in the bacon fat. Build a roux the right way.
Add the clams at the end.
Treat it like it matters.

Game. Changed.

Why This Works (And Where Most Go Wrong)

You know where people wreck chowder?

• They fry bacon too hot and burn it.
• They dump flour in cold and make it clumpy.
• They boil the clams to death because they think more heat = better.

That’s how you go from “cozy winter soup” to “chewy, lumpy sadness.”
Gordon’s trick is simple:
Slow. Gentle. Build each layer. Never rush.
If you do that, chowder almost makes itself.

Ingredients That Actually Matter

• 6 strips thick bacon — Not paper-thin, real bacon that can hold up.
• 2 tbsp butter — Helps the veg sweat, not brown.
• 1 yellow onion, diced — Sweetens everything out.
• 2 celery ribs, diced — Gives it that classic chowder crunch.
• 3 garlic cloves, minced — Sharpens the base flavor.
• 1 tsp hot sauce — Not enough to be spicy, just wakes it up.
• 1 tsp Worcestershire — Adds a background “meaty” vibe.
• 1/3 cup flour — Thickens without turning it into cement (if you do it right).
• 240ml chicken broth — Cuts the richness a little.
• 720ml Half and Half — Full chowder body. No light milk garbage.
• 240ml clam juice — That ocean hit.
• 1 chicken bouillon cube — Secret weapon for extra depth.
• 1 bay leaf — Earthy note underneath it all.
• 560g potatoes, peeled and diced — Yukon or Russet. Your call.
• 3 cans chopped clams — Juices saved, don’t dump them.
• Fresh parsley + black pepper — Bright finishers.

Seasonings:

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

How To Make It (For Real)

Start slow. Like, real slow.

Toss the bacon into your pot, cold. Turn the heat to low.
Let the fat render out gently — you want crispy, not burnt. It’ll take longer than you think. Be patient.

Scoop out the bacon when it’s done, leave behind about 2 tablespoons of that glorious fat.

Add butter right into the bacon fat.
Then onions and celery.
Don’t fry them hard. You’re sweating them down, making them soft and sweet.

After about 5–6 minutes, when the onions go translucent, throw in the garlic, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and your dry herbs.
Stir it all around for maybe 30 seconds — enough to smell it all lift out of the pot.

Now sprinkle in your flour.
Keep stirring.
You’re cooking out that raw flour taste. About 2 minutes.

Slowly — and I mean slowly — stream in your chicken broth, then your Half and Half.
Keep stirring the whole time so it stays smooth.

In goes the clam juice, the bay leaf, the bouillon cube.
Give it a quick stir.

Now bring it up to a gentle boil — barely bubbling — then immediately knock the heat down to a low simmer.

Toss in your peeled, diced potatoes.
Let them simmer slowly for about 20–25 minutes. Fork tender, not falling apart.

When they’re ready, stir in the chopped clams and their juice.
Cook them just for 5 minutes — no longer, or you’ll be chewing rubber bands.

Pull out the bay leaf.
Taste and tweak your seasoning if it needs it.

Spoon into bowls, top with bacon, a sprinkle of parsley, and a crack of black pepper.

Eat it while it’s piping hot and wonder why you ever ate canned chowder.

What Gordon Ramsay Says About This Dish

“Don’t boil the hell out of it. Let it come together gently.”
→ Chowder isn’t stew. It’s soup. Respect the texture.

“Bacon isn’t a topping — it’s the base.”
→ If the bacon’s wrong, everything’s wrong.

“Add the clams late. Overcooked clams are pointless.”
→ 5 minutes, not 50.

What I Screwed Up (And Fixed)

• Bacon burnt to a crisp. → Now I cook it slow, no rush.
• Flour clumped into gross paste. → Always stir and cook flour first before adding any liquid.
• Soup broke after adding Half and Half. → Learned to simmer, not boil.
• Rubber clams. → Now they only see heat for 5 minutes, max.

Variations That Actually Hold Up

• Corn and clam chowder: Throw in a handful of corn kernels with the potatoes.
• Spicy version: Add a little extra hot sauce if you like it with a kick.
• Seafood chowder: Mix in shrimp or scallops toward the end with the clams.

🚫 Don’t try to swap Half and Half for skim milk. It’ll break the soup and your heart.

Pro Tips That Change the Game

• Always sweat vegetables low and slow — no browning.
• Stir constantly after you add the flour — no shortcuts.
• Warm your Half and Half slightly before adding it to avoid shocking the soup.
• Letting chowder rest 10 minutes before serving actually makes it even better.

Storage + Leftover Moves

• Fridge: Airtight container. Good for 3 days.
• Freezer: Freezes great for about 2 months.
• Reheat: Low heat, splash in a little broth if it gets too thick.

Leftover idea?
Spoon leftover chowder into a baked potato. Ridiculous.

FAQs – Covering Search Intent

Q: Can I skip bacon and still make chowder?
A: You can, but it’ll lose that smoky backbone. Add extra butter and a tiny pinch of smoked paprika if you do.

Q: Why is my chowder gritty?
A: You probably didn’t cook the flour properly before adding the broth.

Q: Can I use fresh clams?
A: Absolutely — steam them separately, chop, and add them in right at the end.

Q: How do I keep chowder from curdling?
A: Don’t boil it hard after adding dairy. Simmer it gently.

Q: Best potatoes for chowder?
A: Yukon Gold or Russets. Yukon holds shape better, Russets melt a little into the broth — depends what you want.

Try More Recipes:

• Gordon Ramsay Corn Chowder Recipe
• Gordon Ramsay Street Corn Dip Recipe
• Gordon Ramsay Caramel Popcorn Recipe