Ingredients:
- 5 cans (6.5 oz each) chopped clams (not minced)
- 3 slices bacon – cut into pieces
- 1 onion – chopped
- 2 stalks celery – chopped fine
- 4 medium potatoes – peeled and diced
- 1-1/2 C water (enough to just cover potatoes in pot)
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 1 C half and half
- salt & pepper
Directions:
- Drain clams and reserve the juice
- In a 6 qt soup pot, saute cut bacon until crispy, then remove from pot and set aside – leave the grease in the pot
- Over medium high heat, sautee onions and celery in bacon grease
- Once cooked (tender), add potatoes, water, salt & pepper
- Cover an bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer until potatoes are tender – check after 10 minutes
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour and half & half together until there are no lumps
- Mix in the reserved clam juice
- Slowly add mixture to pot, stirring GENTLY (only a few times) until thick, cooking on medium high heat for about 5 minutes. DO NOT OVERSTIR or the potatoes will turn mushy
- Add the clams and bacon
- Cook for 2 minutes, just enough to heat the clams through
Notes:
- Try serving in a small sourdough round bread where you cut out center and fill with clam chowder