San Francisco Clam Chowder

Nothing beats a bowl of warm and hearty soup, thick and creamy, studded with clams, and full of umami. Clam chowder is one of the best soups in the world and we’re going to make it even better with the addition of Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce.

Clam chowder, in its classic form, is a soup with clams, potatoes, bacon (or salt pork) and onions. There are two types: white and red. Both originated from the Northeastern US, but white clam chowder is now synonymous with San Francisco and sourdough bowls.

The inherently briny flavor of clams, smooth creaminess of potatoes and cream, and salty pops of bacon come together perfectly with Original Bachan’s. Why season with salt and pepper when you can season with so much more? Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce will add rich, bold umami via a sweet-and savory sauce made with traditionally brewed soy sauce made in Japan, aged Japanese mirin, organic rice vinegar, and fresh green onion, ginger, and garlic. It’s truly an umami bomb and when you add it to clam chowder, you’ll be blown away.

Why is San Francisco clam chowder served in a bread bowl?

San Francisco clam chowder is synonymous with bread bowls, for a good reason. The unique foggy climate of San Francisco makes it perfect for sourdough bread and there are many such bakeries in San Francisco. For many, San Francisco is the most famous city for sourdough in America. 

 It was only a matter of time before someone combined the two icons of San Francisco cuisine. Clam chowder in a bread bowl ended up being invented by Boudin, a historic San Francisco sourdough bakery. The bakery was the first to serve chowder in a bread bowl and the rest is history. 

What kind of clams to use

For ease, we’re going to be using canned clams. If you’re near a reputable seafood monger and are familiar with cleaning, cooking, and shelling clams, you can certainly use fresh clams, but a combination of canned clams and clam juice is going to give us the seafood umami we’re looking for. For the canned clams, go for chopped clams: Bar Harbor and Snow’s are two good choices.

What is clam juice?

Since we’re not steaming our clams, we’re going to amp up the flavor of our clam chowder by adding clam juice. Clam juice is the cooking liquid that you get when you steam fresh clams. They sell this right next to the canned clams in little clear bottles. Clam juice is cloudy, salty, and full of clam flavor.

Clam chowder ingredients

bacon - bacon is a classic clam chowder ingredient, both because it adds salt and flavor, and because it provides a bit of much needed fat, which isn’t really present in clams. A few strips of bacon crisped up will add so much depth.

flour - if you’re not familiar with making chowders or white sauces you might be surprised to find that flour is an essential ingredient in both. Flour, when mixed with fat and cooked, thickens up and gives chowder its body. You’ll just need a bit of regular all-purpose flour.

onion and potatoes - onions are going to add sweetness and potatoes are a classic clam chowder ingredient, maybe even the unsung hero. The potatoes help thicken the chowder and add a nice velvety heft.

clams - you can’t have clam chowder without clams. Canned clams are the way to go. They’re fresh when harvested, immediately scrubbed, rinsed, steamed, then canned for maximum clam flavor. Canned clams means you don’t have to deal with shells, cleaning, or steaming. If you live near a fishmonger or seafood market, you can also typically find freshly shucked canned clams that you can steam yourself or add directly to your chowder.

chicken stock and clam juice - chowder needs liquid and a mix of chicken stock and clam juice is just the right mix.

heavy cream - heavy cream is added for richness and that classic creaminess of clam chowder. It also helps thicken the soup. If you’re a thick soup lover, keep an eye on your chowder while it’s simmering. The longer you simmer, the thicker the chowder.

Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce - the star of the show: Bachan’s is going to add a sweet and savory umami burst of flavor that pairs incredibly with the clams. The deepness of the traditionally brewed soy sauce, the fresh ginger, garlic, and green onions, aged Japanese mirin, and organic rice vinegar enhance the rich creaminess of classic San Francisco clam chowder.

sourdough boules - is it San Francisco clam chowder if it’s not served in a sourdough bread bowl? Do it like they do in San Francisco and look for individual-sized sourdough rolls, big enough to serve a generous amount of clam chowder. You might have to source this from a bakery, but it will be worth it. The heartiness of sourdough means that it will hold the clam chowder in the bread bowl without it seeping through and leaking.

How to make clam chowder

Crisp. Start by cooking up some diced bacon for flavor until crisp.

Sweat. Add diced onions and sweat, until soft and aromatic.

Roux. Sprinkle on flour and stir it in, coating the bacon and onions. Cook for a minute or two to create a roux, then slowly pour in chicken stock while stirring.

Simmer. Add potatoes, clams, clam juice and cream to the soup, letting everything come to a simmer. Simmer until the chowder is thick and the potatoes are tender and cooked through.

Season. Time for the magic. Season generously with Original Bachan’s for that you just can’t put your finger on it umami flavor that keeps you going back for more and more.

Serve. Ladle up your hearty clam chowder, either in bowls or in sourdough bread bowls. Enjoy!

How to make a sourdough bread bowl

For extra points, look for individual sourdough boules. Boules are round loaves, so called because “boule” means ball and the round loaves look just like balls of bread. Try to get your sourdough from a local bakery, it’s a huge world of difference from supermarket sourdough. Once you’ve secured your boules, place them on a cutting board. Use a bread knife to cut off about 1 inch of bread off the top of the round. Keeping your knife parallel to the cutting board, carefully lop off the top. Save the top to serve alongside your chowder. Grab a smaller knife and cut into the exposed middle of the sourdough, at an angle, to create a bowl. Gently use your fingers to pull out the excess bread, leaving bread walls of at least 1 inch.

Enjoy!