This is the perfect remedy to any cold, rainy day. I’ve been working on perfecting this recipe for about 5 years, and I think this is it! So enjoy this wonderfully creamy concoction on the next wet, winter night.
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
3 cans clams (chopped or whole, depending on your preference, I used chopped)
2 jars clam juice
½ cup white wine
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup A.P. flour
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups cream
1 T fresh thyme leaves (1 tsp dried)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon, onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the bacon is cooked and the onion becomes translucent. Coat the vegetable/bacon mixture in flour. Cook for 1 minute to remove the flour taste. Add the bottled clam juice and the juice from the canned clams along with the white wine. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cream. Continue to boil for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to break down. Use a potato masher to slightly mash the potatoes. This will help to thicken the chowder, but don’t mash too much. You want a nice chunky consistency. Add the canned clams, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Serve with crackers or grilled cheese sandwiches for dunking.
**If you don’t like the chewy clam bits, then leave them out and just add an additional jar of clam juice. It has all the flavors of clam chowder without the rubbery pieces of clams.
