The Common Potato Mistake That Could Make Clam Chowder Inedible

A good clam chowder isn't the most difficult thing to make. The core ingredients are simple (clams, potatoes, and cream), and the method is pretty straightforward. But it's often the easiest recipes that can become the most frustrating. If just one element is thrown off, you can ruin the entire dish. And a common way in which this happens to chowder is through over-blending the potatoes.

The potatoes are often an afterthought when it comes to chowder, but they actually play a very crucial role. Not only do they bulk up the soup and act as a natural thickener, but they also add a counteracting texture to the creamy base and chewy clam meat, rounding out all of the layers with just a little bit of bite. But according to Chef Dan Witwer of The Darling Oyster Bar in Savannah, Georgia, all of that gets thrown off when the potatoes are overworked.

Chef Witwer raised the issue when speaking to Tasting Table about the 10 mistakes everyone makes with clam chowder, saying, "When you overblend potatoes, it makes for a glue-like consistency, which ruins the chowder." What Witwer is referring to is the act of pulsing the potatoes with a food processor or immersion blender for an even thicker chowder. It can lead to great results, but you need to be careful.

When potatoes are blended, their starches are released, causing them to become sticky or gummy. This can ruin the creamy texture of any chowder or soup, and it's very hard to backpedal on. To avoid it, Chef Witwer recommends pulsing the potatoes in a food processor only briefly and leaving some bigger pieces for texture. He also says to do all of this before adding the cream.

Avoiding the high setting on your blender or food processor can also help, as can scaling back on the amount of potatoes used. You also want to make sure that you're using the best type of potato for your chowder. Yukon Golds are creamier, while red potatoes hold their shape better. You want to opt for a waxy potato and avoid something like Russets, which are more prone to breaking down.

For a classic New England clam chowder, the most common way to add potatoes is to chop them up into bite-sized pieces and add them right into the soup while it's simmering. However, for more control, the best thing to do is simmer them in water in a separate pot and stir them in before serving. If you want a thicker result, try the blending trick — just make sure you don't overdo it.