All right, I’ll admit it. When it comes to developing recipes, I’m somewhat obsessive. In other words, I won’t stop working on a recipe until I believe it’s PERFECT. Case in point, Roger’s Double Clam Chowder.
A love of Clam Chowder becomes a top-selling recipe
I’ve always loved Clam Chowder. Growing up, my mother, who wasn’t a great cook, served Snow’s Clam Chowder, which wasn’t a bad Clam Chowder at all. Eventually my appreciation for chowder grew into a desire to create a recipe all my own.
Back in 1981 I developed a Clam Chowder for our Legal Sea Foods Restaurants. It was a great success. So good, in fact, that it has been served at virtually every Presidential Inauguration since then. After its success at the restaurants, we introduced it in supermarkets across the United States where it quickly became one of the top-selling soups in the country.
Our Clam Chowder wins hands down in any contest
My Clam Chowder’s success didn’t just pertain to restaurant guests and shoppers, it was also a winner in any Best Chowder Contest it entered. A recent win was on The Drew Barrymore Show in early 2021. Drew had already spoken glowingly about the chowder, even saying she eats it for breakfast, and decided to do a Clam Chowder Taste Off where we took the top prize!
New brand, new name, new Clam Chowder recipe
I’ve since sold the restaurant company and of course, along with the restaurants, the buyers wanted my original Clam Chowder recipe which I was obliged to give them.
Fast forward to now and the launch of my new ecommerce company, Roger’s Fish Co. Given that I still love Clam Chowder and am still selling seafood, I knew we’d need a new Clam Chowder, but how would it measure up?
A better Clam Chowder, inspired by friends, family, and foodies
I thought long and hard about developing an even better Clam Chowder and in doing so I channeled one of the greatest cooks I’ve ever known: my late Grandmother Anna. She just had this incredible knack for massaging flavors into what the Japanese refer to as umami, the flavors so craveable you simply can’t put your spoon down.
When in doubt, ask a Boston sports legend
Next, I channeled a great friend who, although he wasn’t a chef, knew what he liked when it came to food and didn’t hold back in his criticisms of any of my recipes. That great friend would be the legendary coach of the Boston Celtics Red Auerbach.
One day I was on the phone with Red and he let me know he’d recently purchased my chowder from a grocery store. His review (with apologies for the salty language): “It tasted fine, but there wasn’t enough f****** clams in it!”
After that, I made a vow that the next clam chowder would be worthy of a five-star review from even the toughest critics. Thanks to Red, I now knew the first order of business was to add more clams. We doubled the amount of clams in the recipe, which is how it got the name Double Clam Chowder.
Double the clams impresses even the toughest critics
So this new Clam Chowder is a tribute to both my Grandmother Anna and Red Auerbach. Thanks to them I believe it to be the best Clam Chowder on the planet – perfect stock, a cream base that is neither too thick or too thin, and enough f****** clams to make Red really happy!
If you don’t think Roger’s Double Clam Chowder is the best you’ve ever tasted, let me know and I’ll be sure to take care of you!