Clam Chowder

Version 2

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped fine 1 onion, chopped fine 3 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice 2 cups water 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 20 saltines, crushed 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 2 pounds chopped clams, rinsed, drained, and chopped fine 1 cup heavy cream Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in clam juice, water, potatoes, saltines, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer ½ cup potatoes to bowl and mash with potato masher until smooth. Return mashed potatoes to pot. Reduce heat to low. Stir clams into pot and simmer until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve.

Version 1

Source: Molly

Ingredients

• 3-4 large potatoes peeled and 1/2 cubed. Boil 7 minutes in lightly salted water. Drain.
• 3-4 strips bacon, lardoned. Fried til crispy. Keep fat.
• 1 good sized onion. Chopped.
• 3 ribs celery. Chopped.
• 3 cans minced clams
• Bottle clam juice
• Cream.
• Maybe some chicken stock.
• Tabasco.

Directions

• Fry bacon. Take out of grease when crispy. Drain.
• Sauté onion and celery in fat til soft.
• Add scoop of butter. 2-3 tbls
• Melt and sauté all for a minute.
• 2-3 tablespoons flour. Mix with veg til flour pasted. Cook 1 min.
• Add potatoes.
• Mix it up.
• Add 1/2 bottle clam juice.
• Mix.
• Add 1/2 cup cream.
• Mix.
• Add clams and their juice.
• Adjust thickness by adding stock.
• 4-8 dashes of Tabasco.
• Add bacon.
• Stir.
• Salt and pepper to taste.