Source Clam Chowder
Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr
Yield: 10 servings
- 10 cups clam juice
- 2 pounds baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and diced
- 4 pounds fresh or frozen clams, shelled and diced
- 1/4 pound salt pork, diced
- 2 small onions, diced
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup flour
- 2 pints half-and-half
- Salt and pepper
- Dash hot pepper sauce
- Dash Worcestershire sauce
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 can of corn
Bring the potatoes and the clam juice to the boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clams and any of their liquid. Cook about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Add the pork to a saute pan and cook over low heat until rendered. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the flour and cook until slightly colored. Add a bit more flour if necessary if the mixture is too soft. Bring the clams, juice and potatoes back to the boil. Gradually stir in the cooked roux. Bring to a rolling boil to thicken. Stir continuously while cooking. Beat the half-and-half and add to the soup. It may not be necessary to use all the half-and-half; the soup should be thick. Adjust the seasoning and add a dash of hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce before serving.
Used 4x10 oz cans of clams in water instead, using the liquid of them as the clam juice and reserving the clams until the end (very important to prevent rubbery clams.) Pretty sure I added celery. Added a can of corn. Probably used bacon instead of the salt pork, could use prosciutto also instead. You can get canned clams pretty easily online.
Turned out to be well-received. If heating up for multiple people, I would recommend adding a little milk or half-and-half to the mix to prevent it from getting too thick.