Here’s Everything You Can Make with Leftover Salmon

The Ultimate Guide To Different Types Of Chowder

Whether you look forward to it as a go-to appetizer every time you step foot in a seafood restaurant or you've just happened to notice how often restaurants offer it on Fridays, chowder has been a staple at many dining establishments all over the world for many, many years. You might think of it as a fairly modern dish, but in fact, its history goes back much further than your local seafood shack. This dish has a heritage that can be traced back to the early 1800s. The word chowder even predates that era: It's based on the French word chaudière, which means cauldron -- the vessel in which the earliest chowders were likely made. The use of such an archaic instrument hints at how old this delicious meal truly is.

When we think about chowder, most of us immediately think of thick and creamy New England clam chowder. Some might also think of its redder cousin, Manhattan clam chowder. But the world of chowder is much more vast than those two dishes. It can include virtually any kind of ingredient, if the chef puts their mind to it -- and we mean any. Traditionally, chowder is indeed considered to be a seafood dish. But if you cast your gaze far enough, you can find examples of chowders containing other kinds of meat, as well as vegetarian varieties with no meat at all. Get ready to take some notes, because your perception of this beloved dish is about to expand. This is the ultimate guide to different kinds of chowder.

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This Dairy-Free Corn Chowder Makes My Little Lactose-Intolerant Heart ...

I love corn chowder. Corn chowder does not love me. Or, more to the point, the dairy that makes a pot of creamy chowder so rich and luscious and craveable does not, er, make me feel great as a somewhat lactose-intolerant person. And while I have been known to pop a Lactaid and dog down on a big bowl of dairy from time to time, the summer months are so full of milky temptation that I have to pick my gastrointestinal battles wisely. This is to say: soft-serve in, corn chowder out.

So when I saw senior food editor Andy Baraghani's recipe for Creamy Corn and Clam Chowder With Crispy Chorizo in the September issue of BA, I paused, and sighed, and looked longingly at the image of pop-y kernels of fresh summer corn and briny little clams lolling about in a rich-looking broth knowing in my heart that it wouldn't be For Me. But then I scanned the ingredients list, and my heart leapt: nary a spot of dairy in sight! Could it be? A corn chowder just for me?! I was on my way to the nearest farmstand before you could say August.

Let me tell you, this recipe has a lot going for it even without the whole "dairy-free" thing. It calls for a mere 10 ingredients, and that's if you count oil, kosher salt, onions, garlic, and paprika, all things I already had at home. And by hybridizing two iconic chowders—corn and clam—it sneaks a ton of savoriness into an otherwise-simple broth in the form of the juice exuded by the bivalves when they open. But by far the greatest trick of them all is blitzing a portion of the corn and broth together in a blender and then stirring the sunny purée back into the soup, a step that gives the finished dish the kind of luxurious, spoon-coating richness that I would normally associate with a hearty pour of heavy cream. (Word to the wise: I've made this twice, once with a real blender and again with an immersion blender when I was feeling lazy, and the former yields a much creamier and better-incorporated result.)

Not only did this method mean that I could enjoy a luxe chowder without suffering one iota of digestive distress, but I actually found that this version allowed the corn and clams to shine in a way that they otherwise wouldn't. The fat in dairy can dull flavors, and without it the corn tasted sweeter and brighter, the clams brinier, and the whole thing fresher and more lively than a chowder has any right to be. A chowder just for me! After my first bowl, I knew that I had found my new favorite seasonal soup. And you know what I did to celebrate? I popped a Lactaid, and went out for ice cream.

Secret To Making Best Clam Chowder Anywhere - CBS News

Rhode Island may be a small state, but it has a big appetite when it comes to chowder.

The search by "The Early Show on Saturday Morning" for its special "Taste of America" tour for the best clam chowder in the land led to the beautiful, quaint town of Narragansett, R.I., best known for its beautiful beaches and home to Iggy's Doughboys & Chowder House, a favorite among locals and tourists.

Sometimes, the line to get in stretches around the corner!

Enjoy all our "Early Show" recipes!

On the show, Iggy's owner David Gravino demonstrated how to make three types of great chowder:

Rhode Island Clear: The clear is a rich clam broth with fresh clams, a little celery, and onions, very lite and has a great clam flavor

Manhattan Red: A tomato-based chowder with fresh clams, celery onions, tomatoes and potatoes

New England White: Like the clear, but with half-and-half, very creamy and thick

David says they're all made at Iggy's with fresh produce and fresh clams and clam juice, No water is added to any of the three. That's very important for the taste

The chowders are made 3-4 times daily: That's one of the reasons it's so good - it's fresh.

The keys to making the best chowders: fresh ingredients -- and waiting until the chowder is cooked and adding the clams at the end.

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