Serve 6 to 8

The only ingredient in this dish are quahogs, salt pork, potatoes and onion (or not) to taste. Nothing else other than salt and pepper.

The quahog is a hard – shelled clam that lives in sand (never mud) covered with brackish water. Its inner shell is white with purple lips, the raw material of wampum. Commercially it comes in 3 sizes littleneck, cherrystone and the big chowder clams. The number and size of clams is relatively unimportant; it is the volume of the meat and liquor that is the prime consideration. The chowder has the clear, strong and delicious flavor of clams, though it is not clear, in the sense that consommé is clear, nor is it creamy or thickened with flour, arrowroot or mashed potato.

The essence of the chowder flavor is the quahog liquor, save or buy all you can. Commercial clam juice is not as good it comes from the quite different steamer clam.