Clam Chowder

Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 4 cups potatoes, diced into small cubes
  • 3 large carrots, diced into small cubes
  • 1 large onion, chopped fine
  • 1 large can of clams (51 oz) -- use a smaller can and some fresh clams if you can!
  • 1.25 sticks butter
  • 6 tbs flour
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 large pinch dried marjoram
  • 1 tsp worcestershire
  • 1.5 tbs kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups milk or half-and-half
  • 3 slices hearty bacon

Directions

Immerse the carrots, potatoes and onion in the juice from the canned clams--this should come out to around 4 cups of liquid. If it's less, supplement with a little water. Add a bay leaf and the salt, and gently boil until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Remove the bay leaf when done.

Meanwhile, chop the bacon into very small bits, and fry over medium heat. You're looking to get the fat out of the bacon, but you'll be keeping this.

Once the bacon is nice and crisp, melt all of the butter with the bacon fat. Once the butter is melted, put in the flour and the pepper. Stir until you have a nice roux, and cook for a minute or three. Add the milk in about a cup at a time; stir and heat until it's boiling, then add the next cup. When you have a nice, hot, thick cream sauce, combine with the vegetables and liquid. (Be sure to remove the bay leaf.) Add all remaining ingredients, and heat through. Serve immediately. Sourdough is nice. I use saltines.

Notes

This clam chowder is adapted from about half a dozen different recipes I've seen, combining many of the things I like. It's not yet quite perfect, but it's darn close.