Clam Chowder has been on the Cliff House menu since 1872. Guests always tell us how exceptional it is. This recipe won a coveted award at the Boston Harbor Fest in July 2003. All of you non-New Englanders will please note there are no tomatoes to be seen anywhere near this soup pot. The Maine legislature once introduced a bill to outlaw forever the adulteration of Maine Clam Chowdah with that dreaded red interloper. This recipe is fun to make, but the missing ingredient just may be eating it while longing for our dining room view of the vast Atlantic.

Cliff House Clam Chowder
Dining At the Cliff House cookbook
Cliff House Resort & Spa, Ogunquit

3 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
6 slices apple wood smoked bacon
½ cup white onion, diced
½ cup celery, diced
1 large ear of native corn, in season, kernels removed
1½ cups clam broth
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5 drops Tabasco sauce
1½ cups potato, peeled and diced
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups clams, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water

In a 4-quart pot, melt butter and sauté bacon until golden brown. Add diced onions and celery, and sauté until tender and translucent. Place corn kernels on a small sheet pan and roast at 350º for approximately 6 minutes. Set aside when finished.

Add clam broth, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, potatoes and fresh herbs to the 4-quart pot. Cook for approximately 13 minutes to soften potatoes and incorporate flavors. Add heavy cream, chopped clams, and corn. Bring to a boil and thicken with equal parts arrowroot and water.

Serves 5.

MF&L Staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.