There are many variations to these New England favorites. Here's a great Rhode Island style chowder and clam cakes. For a complete shore dinner, cook with a clam boil including steamers, lobsters and all the fixin's. Serve with a garden salad and your favorite beer or wine and you have a easy meal from the Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Clam Chowder
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Prepare the Clams
Scrub the outside of the clams under cold water. Place in large basin and cover with three inches of lightly salted water (1/4 cup per quart of water). After 30 minutes, remove clams with your hands and drain water. Repeat the process until there is no sand in the bottom of the basin.
Cook the Clams
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. (I add a couple of sliced celery sticks, a couple of slice carrots, and a chopped onion to add flavor to the broth.) Add cleaned clams and steam for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove open clams and and steam remaining clams another couple of minutes. Discard any unopened clams.Remove clam meat from the shells and chop fine. (I run quahogs through a grinder with a course grind). Decant broth being careful to leave sand in the pan. Add enough water or bottled clam juice to make 6 cups.
Prepare the Chowder
Blanch salt pork in sauce pan with 1 quart of water to remove excess salt. Saute salt pork slowly in butter until the pork has render its fat. Remove pork bits and stir in onions, celery and carrots. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat. Stir in cracker crumbs. Add 6 cups liquid, potatos, bay leaf, sugar and tomato soup. Simmer 20 minutes until potatos are tender. Add clam meat and salt and pepper to taste. (Do not over cook or the clams will toughen). Serve in large bowls.
Mini Clam Cakes
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Beat eggs. Add milk and clam juice. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add the minced clams to the sifted flour and then add enough of the liquid to make a thick, lumpy batter. . Drop batter by teaspoons into 375 degree oil. When one side is cooked, the cakes will roll over by themselves. Drain on brown paper and serve immediately with chowder.
Clam Boil
For each person you will need:
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Tips
The most difficult part of this meal, the chowder, can be made a day or two in advance and reheated. While the clam cakes must be cook and eaten immediately, the batter is simple and the cakes cook quickly. Nothing is easier to cook than a clam boil. Just layer everything in the pot.
Looking for more recipes from Rhode Island?
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Best of the Best from New England : Selected Recipes from the Favorite Cookbooks of Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine
by Gwen McKee (Editor), Barbara Moseley (Editor), Tupper Davidson (Illustrator)Buy this book from 
Over 500 of the most popular recipes from 107 outstanding New England cookbooks--from the states of Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Includes interesting culinary and historical information and photos throughout, plus a list of contributing books. The 15th volume in the popular "Best" state cookbook series.
Would you like to see some other Rhode Island links?
- Galilee and Point Judith - Fishing, boating, beaches and, of course, seafood restaurants.
- Gilbert Stuart Birthplace - An important historical landmark not only because of its connection to Gilbert Stuart, but also because of its connection to early industry in Rhode Island. Located in North Kingstown.
- Narragansett - Miles of shoreline and many beautiful beaches.
- Newport - Known for sailing, mansions and great restaurants.
- Providence - Rhode Island's capital and one of the country's most historic cities.
- Slater Mill Historic Site - Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution in Pawtucket, RI.
- Woonsocket - A sleepy farming community until the 1800's, Woonsocket became one of the nineteenth century's great industrial centers.
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