A curated collection of four signature New England dishes from Yankee Magazine Senior Food Editor Amy Traverso, spanning creamy clam chowder, spiced cider muffins, slow-baked beans, and a traditional boiled dinner that capture the region's hearty culinary identity.
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CLAM CHOWDER: Set a 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pot, and crumble into small pieces; set aside.
Add the butter, onion, celery, thyme and bay leaves to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until onions are tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
Return the bacon to the pot and stir. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the potatoes.
In a 2- to 3-quart pot on high heat, boil the diced potatoes in salted water until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Turning back to the onion/bacon mixture, increase the heat to medium-low. Add the flour gradually, stirring continuously, until a thick paste forms. Stir and cook 5 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium and slowly add the bottled clam juice, 1 cup at a time, incorporating it into the mixture before adding more.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the potatoes and clam meat with its juices. Keep stirring 5 minutes, until the clams are tender.
Add the cream slowly; then stir in the white pepper. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Serve hot.
CIDER DOUGHNUT MUFFINS: Preheat oven to 375° and set a rack to the middle position. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan and set aside.
Put the apple cider in a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Set aside to cool.
Using a standing or handheld mixer, cream the butter with the sugar in a large bowl at medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each. Add the vanilla extract and blend.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add a third of this mixture to the butter mixture and beat just to combine. Add half the reduced cider and beat to combine. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, then the rest of the cider, then the remaining flour mixture.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups and transfer to the oven. Bake until tops are firm and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
Prepare the topping: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. As soon as the muffins are cool enough to handle, brush their tops and sides with butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
BOSTON-STYLE BAKED BEANS: Soak beans overnight in cold water. When ready to cook, place beans in a heavy saucepan; fill with water to cover by about a half inch. Boil 25-30 minutes, until just tender; don't overcook. Drain and rinse, reserving the liquid.
Preheat oven to 400°. Place half the salt pork in the bottom of a large ovenproof pot. Add beans, sugar, molasses, dry mustard, white pepper, salt and reserved liquid. Top with remaining salt pork.
Cover and bake 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more water as needed. Let beans rest 30 minutes before serving.
NEW ENGLAND BOILED DINNER: Cover beef with water and simmer 10 minutes, covered, in a large kettle. Skim off and discard the residue that forms on top of water.
Add peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 3 hours or until meat is tender.
Put beets in separate pan with a little water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
Add turnips, potatoes, carrots and onions to kettle with meat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes longer.
Add cabbage and cook, covered, 15 minutes more.
Remove meat, cut into serving pieces and place on platter surrounded with well-drained vegetables. Serve with Irish soda bread.
Clam chowder and baked beans refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat gently. Cider muffins keep 2 days in an airtight container. Boiled dinner components are best served fresh but leftover corned beef and vegetables refrigerate up to 3 days and are excellent for hash.
4- to 6-quart pot (clam chowder) · Standing or handheld mixer (muffins) · 12-cup muffin pan (muffins) · Heavy ovenproof pot with lid (baked beans) · Large kettle with lid (boiled dinner)
Yes. Make it up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, adding a splash of cream if it thickens too much. Do not boil once cream is added.
Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat slightly and simmer uncovered until it measures 1 cup. This concentrates the flavor. Cool before using.
Yes, soak dried navy beans overnight in cold water. This reduces cooking time and aids digestion. Drain and rinse before cooking.
The beef requires a full 3-hour simmer before vegetables are added. A slow cooker on low works for the beef, but vegetables (turnips, cabbage, potatoes) should be added in the final 30 minutes to avoid overcooking.
Salt pork is cured but unsmoked and fattier; it renders slowly for deep, savory flavor. Bacon is smoked and meatier. Both work, but salt pork is more traditional for Boston-style beans.
