Mainers traditionally preferred chowders made with soft-shell steamer clams. In fact, if they built a chowder made with hard-shell clams, they would specifically call it quahog chowder as a differentiation. However, the further south you got—especially from Portland on down to the state line—the more likely you’d be to encounter the Boston-style brew: lightly flour-thickened and made with chopped hard-shell clams. These days, steamers are in somewhat short supply and hard-shells are still widely available (and in particularly convenient form, given that you can now buy containers of pasteurized chopped quahogs in their liquor in most fish markets), and this chowder is now popular all around the state.

Portland Quahog Chowder
Brooke Dojny, Dishing Up Maine

4 ounces salt pork, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large onion, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups clam liquor, clam broth, bottled clam juice, or a combination (see Note)
3 cups whole or low-fat milk
4-5 cups diced all-purpose potatoes, such as Maine Superiors or Yukon golds (about 1½ pounds)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried
3 cups coarsely chopped hard-shell clams (see Note)
2 cups half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons butter

Cook the salt pork in a large soup pot over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the pork bits are crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the pork bits with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels (refrigerate until ready to serve), leaving the drippings in the pan.

Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the clam liquor and milk, whisking until smooth. Add the potatoes and dried thyme, if using, now. Simmer, uncovered, over medium to medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Add the clams and fresh thyme now, if using, and stir in the half-and-half. Continue to simmer until the potatoes are very tender, 5-10 minutes longer. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and let the chowder sit at cool room temperature for at least an hour or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Before serving, add the butter and reheat gently. Ladle into bowls and pass the reserved pork bits, if desired.

Note: You can buy chopped fresh clams in their juice from a fish market or seafood section of the supermarket, and use the juice (”liquor”) for part of the chowder liquid. Or use 5 quarts scrubbed hard-shell clams and steam them in a small amount of water just until they are open, about 5 minutes. Then scrape out the clam meat and chop or cut it with scissors into cranberry-size pieces. Pour the cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup, let any sediment settle, and pour off the clean broth.

Yields about 3 quarts (6-8 main-course servings).