RCP: Maine Clam Chowder

From "All Maine Cooking" - a collection of treasured recipes from the Pine Tree State (c) 1967

Maine Clam Chowder
2 quarts sliced potatoes
1 onion diced
1 pint clams, cut (or 2 or 3 cans of minced clams)
1 pint top milk
1/8 pound butter or oleo
Cook the potatoes and onion in as little water as possible. If using canned clams use the broth instead of water. (A pressure cooker uses less water). When potatoes are soft add the clams, lower the heat, simmer 5 minutes and let set. For canned clams merely stir in and let set. When ready to serve, reheat, add top milk or add half and half to regular milk. Remove from heat, add butter according to richness of milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Submitted by Olive Bonsey, Surry, Maine

I've made this several times - simple and delicious.

Okay, I'll show my lack of food knowledge. What is "top milk?"

Okay, I'll show my lack of food knowledge. What is "top milk?"

From the instructions in the recipe, I assume it's the creamy layer skimmed off of unhomogenized milk.

-Paul W.

Okay, I'll show my lack of food knowledge. What is "top milk?"

Paul has it right. Blending half & half with whole milk is a equivalent. Also, I've never used "oleo".

What a great recipe Howie. Seems simple enough for me to give it a go...I love clam chowder! Thanks for posting this!

Nice recipe Howie, but with all due respect; we lived in Maine for eighteen years and never met a Mainer who ate clam chowder, they ate fish chowder. Your recipe is for New England Clam Chowder. Here is what Mainers eat:

FISH CHOWDER:
2 lbs Chowder fish (preferably haddock)
6 medium Potatoes in small cubes
5 tbl Butter
1 Onion chopped
1/4 Green pepper minced
1 qt Whole milk
1 C Half and half
1/2 tbl Salt
1/4 tsp White pepper
1/2 tsp Dry thyme
1/2 tsp Dry parsley flakes
1/4 tsp Dry oregano

Cover fish with water, bring to boil, and simmer five minutes. Remove to platter with slotted utensil, and remove any skin that may still be attached. Boil potatoes for five minutes. Drain, and put on platter with fish. Discard all fish-potato water. Thoroughly clean pot, being sure to remove all starch from bottom. Return pot to stove, melt butter in it, and cook onions and green pepper until soft. Add the herbs and seasonings, milk, 1/2 & 1/2, potatoes, and fish. Warm, stirring constantly, until piping hot but not boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and let chowder cool down. Refrigerate over night. Next day or night warm back up to piping hot stage again, and serve.

Nice recipe Howie, but with all due respect....

Thanks Carl. The Clam Chowder is a good, simple recipe. My brother has lived in Maine for 30 years (5 on Mt. Desert and 25 in S. Portland) and my sister for 20 years in York Beach. Great State. I try to get up there at least twice a year. Your haddock fish chowder looks good too. I may give it a try one of these days.