Steve's New England Clam Chowder

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 (10 ounce) cans baby clams
• 2 (6 ounce) cans of chopped clams
• 3 large baking potatoes
• 1 large yellow onion
• 8 slices of thick cut bacon
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups 2% low-fat milk
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• paprika
• parsley

Recipe

• 1 peel and chop the raw potatoes into small cubes.
• 2 place the diced potatoes in a dutch oven and fill with just enough water to cover them.
• 3 bring the water to a boil and cook for 7 minutes or until tender but not soft/mushy.
• 4 chop the onion into small pieces.
• 5 cut the bacon into â½ inch pieces, cook until crisp in a large skillet.
• 6 remove bacon pieces and set aside.
• 7 drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease.
• 8 add the chopped onions/celery and minced garlic to the skillet with the bacon grease.
• 9 sautã© until the onions are soft.
• 10 open the cans of clams.
• 11 drain the liquids into a small container.
• 12 add â½ of the clam juice to the skillet with the onions, celery, and garlic.
• 13 set the clams and remainder of clam juice aside.
• 14 simmer for 5 minutes.
• 15 when the potatoes are done, drain the potatoes and return to the dutch oven.
• 16 add the onion/celery mixture.
• 17 stir just enough to mix, not mash.
• 18 in a large sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour, making a roux.
• 19 add the half and half cream and the 2% milk.
• 20 cook on medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk.
• 21 add the cayenne pepper, worcestershire sauce, and ground pepper while sauce thickens.
• 22 pour the thickened sauce into the dutch oven with the potatoes and onions.
• 23 add the clams and bacon pieces.
• 24 stir to mix.
• 25 cook over medium heat until heated through.
• 26 if the chowder is too thick, add more milk or clam juice until the desired consistency is reached. add salt to taste.
• 27 spoon into serving bowls, garnish with paprika and parsley, and enjoy.