Clam Chowder

By DWatkins23

This is a riff off an Anne Burrell Recipe (see foodnetwork). She boils the clams and uses that juice to make it clam flavored... I used the leftover steamed clams from the night before and reserved the juice from the clam steaming process... Good

Ingredients

• 3 cups reserved juice from Steamed clams (see Robert Irvine Steamed clam recipe foodnetwork.com)
• 2 1/2 dozen steamed clams roughly chopped (set aside)
• 4 Thick slices of bacon cut into Lardon (or 6 regular)
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 T Olive Oil
• salt/pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs Yukon gold Potatoes cut into 1/2 dice
• 4 T flour
• 1 c Heavy Cream
• 2 c milk (2 %)
• 1/4 t thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 T butter

Preparation

Step 1

put olive oil into the bottom of a heavy pot and toss in the bacon. Bring the pan to a medium heat. When the bacon has let off a lot of fat and become brown and crispy, toss in the onions and season lightly with salt. Cook the onions until they are very soft and aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and potato mixture and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in the reserved clam juice. When the clam juice has been whisked in and there are no lumps, whisk in the milk and heavy cream and toss in the bay leaves and thyme. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Toss in the reserved clams. Taste and re-season if needed and add hot sauce if using.