flipClam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
Why this dish? Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Anita Borg was at the heart of one of the birthplaces of this iconic dish. Clam chowder served in a hollowed sourdough bread bowl is THE comforting classic of the Bay—the kind of warming dinner after a long day, or during a trip to the coast.
A creamy soup of clams, potatoes, and bacon, served inside a hollowed sourdough loaf that gradually soaks up the broth—a San Francisco gourmet institution.
Where I lived, on the Bay, this is THE dish you order by the water when the fog rolls in over the bridge. You hollow out a nice round sourdough loaf, fill it with this steaming hot clam chowder, and the bread becomes both your spoon and your bowl. I warn you: don't skimp on the clams, and keep the bread you scooped out to mop up every last drop. It's hearty, it's generous—exactly what you need after twelve hours of debugging.
- •Fresh clams — a good amount (star ingredient)
- •Potatoes — a few (body)
- •Smoked bacon — a few slices (umami base)
- •Onion — one (aromatic)
- •Cream and milk — as needed for desired richness (binder)
- •Sourdough loaf — one per person (edible container)
- •Butter, flour — a little (thickener (roux))
Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
A creamy soup of clams, potatoes, and bacon, served inside a hollowed sourdough loaf that gradually soaks up the broth—a San Francisco gourmet institution.
Why this dish? Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Anita Borg was at the heart of one of the birthplaces of this iconic dish. Clam chowder served in a hollowed sourdough bread bowl is THE comforting classic of the Bay—the kind of warming dinner after a long day, or during a trip to the coast.
Where I lived, on the Bay, this is THE dish you order by the water when the fog rolls in over the bridge. You hollow out a nice round sourdough loaf, fill it with this steaming hot clam chowder, and the bread becomes both your spoon and your bowl. I warn you: don't skimp on the clams, and keep the bread you scooped out to mop up every last drop. It's hearty, it's generous—exactly what you need after twelve hours of debugging.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh clams — a good amount (star ingredient)
- Potatoes — a few (body)
- Smoked bacon — a few slices (umami base)
- Onion — one (aromatic)
- Cream and milk — as needed for desired richness (binder)
- Sourdough loaf — one per person (edible container)
- Butter, flour — a little (thickener (roux))
Ingredients
- Clams (fresh or canned with juice) — 400 g (star ingredient)
- Firm-fleshed potatoes — 300 g (body)
- Smoked bacon lardons — 80 g (umami base)
- Onion — 1 (aromatic)
- Celery stalk — 1 (aromatic)
- Heavy cream — 20 cl (binder)
- Milk — 30 cl (binder)
- Butter — 30 g (roux)
- Flour — 2 tbsp (roux)
- Round sourdough loaves — 2 to 4 (edible container)
- Thyme, salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Cook the bacon until crisp, then add chopped onion and celery.
- Add butter, then flour to make a roux; cook for one minute.
- Pour in milk, clam juice, and thyme; add diced potatoes and simmer until tender.
- Stir in cream and clams; heat gently without boiling; adjust seasoning.
- Cut a lid off each loaf, hollow out the inside, then pour the hot soup into the bread bowl and serve immediately.
How it was made : New England clam chowder, a creamy clam soup, was adopted and adapted on the West Coast. Serving it in a sourdough bread bowl is a specialty popularized on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf in the 20th century, marrying the chowder with the iconic local sourdough.
The contemporary twist : A sprinkle of crispy bacon bits and a chive sprig on top, the bread lid set askew like a half-open cover.
Anita Borg · Charactorium
