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Bacon Clam Chowder

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Bacon Clam Chowder

In the episode

Jeremiah took on the clam chowder of the Wasteland. The bacon spent about ten minutes rendering in the Dutch oven, the mic got knocked off his shirt, and he briefly became an airbender. Onions and celery softened in all that bacon fat while he cracked open the "gulper" cans.

The bay leaves came out with a surprisingly loud clatter for a leaf, cream and half-and-half went in, and the fancy pepper grinder lost out to the wastelander method. A cornstarch slurry, mixed with a fork so it wouldn't go lumpy, thickened it up.

At the tasting it was the first thing that didn't taste radioactive, but we both found it a little bland. It could use more salt and more flavor overall, though gulper isn't that flavorful anyway. It's kind of just a chewy meat.

Thanks to the unwavering dedication of Vault-Tec Regional HQ in Boston, we're sharing a delectable clam chowder recipe for all vault dwellers to savor.

Certain vaults will now receive a minimum of 10,000 cans of clams to meet Boston HQ's demands. Please note: adjustments have been made to medical and operational resources in vaults to accommodate the additional clam storage space.

Bacon Clam Chowder

Gulper Slurry

A creamy New England-style clam chowder with smoky bacon, Yukon gold potatoes and thyme, worthy of Vault-Tec Regional HQ in Boston.

Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced, or until your ancestors say stop
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 2 10-oz cans whole clams
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until crisp. Lift it out and set it aside, leaving the fat in the pot.

  2. Add the onion, garlic and celery to the fat and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft.

  3. Drain the juice from the clam cans into the pot, keeping the clams aside. Add the broth, bay leaves, thyme and potatoes.

  4. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover and cook over medium-low for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

  5. Stir in the clams, cream, half-and-half and Worcestershire sauce. Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Warm through over medium heat without letting it boil.

  6. Whisk the cornstarch with the water, stir it into the chowder and cook until thickened. Serve topped with the crumbled bacon.

Notes

The cornstarch slurry at the end is what thickens it, and the pun behind the name.

Adapted from Fallout: The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook by Victoria Rosenthal (Insight Editions, 2018).