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Bacony Clam Chowder

Source of Recipe

From "Cravings: Hungry for More" by Chrissy Teigen


Recipe Introduction

"The word 'chowder' just screams comfort to me. It makes me think of a snowy little town with hilly streets and a main street with pubs and antique shops. A town where I *belong* in some sort of alternate life. I craaaave steaming bowls of chowder and the accompanying plastic bag of crackers. If you were to make this soup using fresh clams, you'd need to find EIGHT POUNDS WORTH. So, as much as I love the idea of hauling Luna's body weight in seafood home from the store, I think I may be saying goodbye to the process of cleaning, steaming, cooling, and stripping those little shell houses of their precious meat until further notice. And really, canned clams don't suck—just make sure to save the juice they're swimming in because it gives this creamy broth its special oceany flavor."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  5 thick slices bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
â—¦  3 tablespoons butter
â—¦  1 small onion, finely chopped
â—¦  2 celery stalks, diced
â—¦  1 large carrot, diced
â—¦  2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
â—¦  5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦  2 cups vegetable broth
â—¦  2 (10-ounce) cans clams in juice, liquid drained and reserved
â—¦  1 pound (2 medium) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks
â—¦  1 bay leaf
â—¦  Kosher salt
â—¦  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
â—¦  1 ¼ cups heavy cream or half-and-half
â—¦  Freshly ground black pepper
â—¦  Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
â—¦  Cholula or Crystal hot sauce


Recipe

In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat, add the butter, then add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 additional minute.

Add the flour and stir until it disappears into the vegetables, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth and clam juice (they should total 4 cups), the potatoes, bay leaf, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and the cayenne. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and keep at a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about another 15 minutes.

Add the clams and cook for about 2 minutes to just warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve with hot sawwwwce.

Serves 6



✰ You need a total of 4 cups liquid (vegetable broth plus clam juice), so add more broth or water if there's not enough clam juice.