November is a special time on Holden Beach. We gather with friends and family for Thanksgiving, a day which originated as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest of the year before. It’s a season around the Holden Beach community for steaming clam chowder, fresh local collards, oyster roasts, hot boiled peanuts (washed down with the requisite Pepsi), and brisk walks along the meandering shoreline speckled with treasures from the sea.
We appreciate all of our guests and owners throughout the years and consider them part of our extended Hobbs family — and we miss them when they’re not here! If you’ve vacationed here along our southeastern island, we have an inkling that you might just be missing your beloved island escape. It just so happens that one of our most popular spots on our website for visitors and locals alike is our Holden Beach webcam page, which offers 24/7 southerly views of the Atlantic Ocean from atop our office.
Every season of coastal living brings a variety of tides and winds, waves and weather, and brilliant sunrises and sunsets. When you’re unable to visit us in person, we hope you’ll continue to check in with us regularly and enjoy the view along with us!
We are deeply grateful for every person, family, and group of friends who entrusts us to help plan hard-earned vacations. Wherever you are, as the days get shorter and the temperatures cooler, enjoy this little gift from us: our friend’s time-honored recipe for an old-fashioned clam chowder. It’s not red like Manhattan’s or cream-based like New England’s. It’s the pure, clam-juice-based kind found up and down the N.C. coast, highlighting the meaty scrumptiousness of clams!
We’ve got to get our pot stickers ready... See ya soon!
N.C. Clam Chowder Recipe
Ingredients for Chowder:
20-30 medium clams, chopped
3 pieces salt pork, sliced in 1 ½ inch pieces (can substitute with bacon if desired)
8 medium potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
Ingredients for Pot Stickers / Dumplings (optional):
2 cups medium-ground plain cornmeal
Water
Directions:
Chowder — Fry 3 pieces of salt pork in large saucepan over medium heat until crisp; leave pork and grease in the pan; and add chopped clams, diced potatoes, and onion. Cover with water. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until tender. Add salt, pepper, and corn dumplings, if desired.
Dumplings — Mix cornmeal with a little water until it’s a doughy consistency. Shape into 1-inch balls, flatten balls to form patties, and drop them into boiling chowder broth. Cook approximately 5 minutes. Stick dumplings all around the inside of the pot. Serves 4.