Clam chowder

New England clam chowder The creamy, milk-based chowder, built on salt pork or bacon, potatoes and plenty of clams, is the version that counts as dinner. Potatoes give it bulk and the pork gives it a smoky backbone, so a big bowl with oyster crackers needs nothing after it. Tinned clams and their juice make it a cupboard meal any time of year. It does not keep as well as the bean soups, because the cream can split when boiled again, so warm leftovers gently and eat them within a couple of days.