Ingredients
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3 (1 liter) bottles clam juice
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3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks (resist the urge to use Yukon Gold potatoes)
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2 tablespoons butter
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3 slices bacon, finely chopped (I use thick, hammy deli bacon ( use six slices of bacon if you're using the thin, pre-packaged stuff)
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5 garlic cloves, minced
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1 bay leaf
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1/4 cup all-purpose flour
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6 (6 1/2 ounce) cans minced clams, drained, juices reserved (chopped clams are fine ( I use minced )
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1 1/2 cups half-and-half
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hickory liquid smoke (hard-to-find, but great flavor!)
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1 -3 drop Tabasco sauce, for flavor
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2 cups chopped onions or 1 large yellow onion
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3 stalks celery & leaves or 1 1/4 cups celery & leaves, chopped
Instructions
- NOTE: Prepare ingredients before starting! Experienced, or quick, cooks can ignore this advice. I'm neither experienced nor quick. If I don't prepare the ingredients before starting the chowder, it's a disaster.
- Bring the bottled clam juice and potatoes to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about ten minutes). Remove from heat.
- Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon begins to brown (about 8-10 minutes). Add onions, celery, garlic, and bay leaf. Sautà until vegetables soften, about six minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook two minutes. Do not allow flour to brown.
- Gradually whisk in reserved juices from clams. Add potato mixture, calms, half-and-half, hickory smoke salt, and hot pepper sauce. Simmer chowder to blend flavors, stirring frequently.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Chowder can be served after as few as ten minutes of simmering, or it can sit on the stove contentedly for hours.