Welcome back everyone!
This week my hot air balloon of culinary discovery flew me to the northeastern US!
Culinarily, New England is a very interesting area. As some of the first American colonies that were settled on, there is a lot of history in the food being served there. In my research I heard several stories from New Englanders about the dishes they’d been eating growing up. One thing every story had in common: molassesy-bacony boston baked beans.
The cuisine’s influences do vary heavily between the coast and further inland – from the seafood dishes of coastal fishermen to the deep classic flavors of more landlocked places. It was a big priority for me to make sure I highlight them both.
All in all I think I managed to represent them quite well – the only thing missing is the ever classic Lobster Roll. 🦞 Sadly making these would have cost more than the entire rest of the meal thanks to central-european lobster prices, so I had to do without.
Here’s what hit the table (2025/09/07)
Click on the arrows to show the full recipe!
Clam Chowder
A delicious soup, perfect for a day on the windy coast or a night in with your family, or anywhere or anytime else, really. Even better if served out of a bread bowl!
Serves 6. Thanks to the Cozy Cook for the recipe inspo!
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 42 g flour
- 235 g chicken broth
- 725 g half-and-half
- 100 ml clam juice or water, if precooked clams
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 bay leaf
- 560 g potatoes, diced
- 400 g chopped clams – or mussels if not available
- ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp smoked paprika, pepper
- Fresh parsley
Directions
- Fry bacon until crisp, remove and crumble. Keep fat.
- Add butter, onion, celery, garlic. Cook until soft.
- Stir in flour, cook 2 min. Add broth, half-and-half, clam juice, bouillon, bay leaf, and seasonings.
- Add potatoes, simmer until tender.
- Stir in clams and clam juice, cook 5 min.
- Remove bay leaf, adjust seasoning, serve with parsley and bacon.
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Clam Cakes
A perfect side for the clam chowder. Serves about 6.
Thanks to Hank from Honest-Food for the inspo!
Ingredients
- Oil for frying
- 3 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup clam broth
- ½ cup cold beer
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1½ cups chopped clams – or mussels if not available
- 1 tsp salt
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 3½ cups flour
Directions
- Heat oil in deep pan to 175 °C (350 °F).
- Mix eggs, buttermilk, clam broth, beer, maple syrup.
- Stir in clams, salt, baking powder, and flour.
- Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil.
- Fry 3–5 min until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot, e.g. with remoulade or as a side to clam chowder.
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Boston Baked Beans
The quintessential Sunday dish many New Englanders remember from their youth. Salty, savory, sweet.
Serves 6. Inspo by Daniel Gritzer over at Serious Eats.
Ingredients
- 450 g dried white beans (navy beans)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 cloves garlic (optional)
- 2 herb sprigs (rosemary, sage, thyme), optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 120 ml molasses
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 225 g or bacon, in cubes
- 1 onion, diced
- Apple cider vinegar, to taste
Directions
- Soak beans overnight, drain.
- Simmer beans with salt, aromatics, herbs, and bay leaf until just tender.
- Drain, reserve liquid. Remove aromatics.
- Combine beans, molasses, mustard, pepper, pork, onion in Dutch oven.
- Add enough bean liquid to cover.
- Bake covered at 150 °C (300 °F) for 4–5 hours, adding liquid if needed.
- Season with vinegar before serving.
Notes
This dish can be served as a main dish, as it is full of protein and fiber, but it works just as well as a side to meat, etc.
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New England Brown Bread
This copycat recipe tries to emulate Boston Brown Bread, which is not readily available in Europe, and is adapted from 12tomatoes.com
Instead of bread in the classic sense, think of it like banana bread without bananas. It’s a little sweet, a bit cakey, but not quite there.
Makes 1 loaf. Thanks for the recipe inspo to Decatur MacPherson at 12tomatoes!
Ingredients
- 2½ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 2½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup boiling water
- Butter, for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F).
- Mix flours, raisins, sugar, molasses, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Whisk egg with buttermilk, add to dry ingredients.
- Stir in boiling water until smooth.
- Pour into greased loaf pan.
- Bake 50–60 min until toothpick comes out clean.
- Serve warm with butter.
Notes
This dish can be served immediately and can also be microwaved very well! Just pop some slices on a plate and nuke until warm.
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Whoopie Pies
This New England dessert was an absolute crowd pleaser among my family and coworkers – definitely give it a try!
Makes about 12. Original recipe by Handle the Heat
Ingredients
- 1⅔ cups (212 g) flour
- ⅔ cup (57 g) Dutch-process cocoa
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 113 g butter
- 200 g dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 296 g buttermilk
- For the filling:
- 297 g marshmallow fluff
- 212 g butter
- 140 g powdered sugar
- 1½ tbsp vanilla
- ½ tsp salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Line baking sheets.
- Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, then buttermilk.
- Mix dry ingredients, fold into wet until smooth.
- Drop spoonfuls onto sheet, bake 10–12 min. Cool.
- For filling, beat fluff, butter, sugar, vanilla, salt until smooth.
- Spread filling between 2 cakes to make sandwiches.
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To sum it up:
Everything said, all these dishes were delicious – especially that brown bread, heated up and had with some butter – simple, sweet, cravable!
The star of the show was definitely the whoopie pies though – clear 10/10, both from Mrs. W2P and me.
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