New England Clam Chowder

Steps

1. Drain the clams through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Keep the clams and the juice separately.
2. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp.
   ⏱ Crisp bacon: 7 min
3. Lift the bacon onto paper towels, leaving the fat in the pot.
4. Add the butter, onion and celery and cook until soft.
   ⏱ Soften vegetables: 6 min
5. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
   ⏱ Garlic: 1 min
6. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly.
   ⏱ Cook flour: 2 min
7. Slowly

   whisk (how to whisk)

   Whisk Beat ingredients with a whisk to mix them smoothly or to add air. 1. Use a bowl big enough to whisk without splashing; set it on a damp towel to stop it spinning.2. Hold the whisk loosely and move it in quick circles or side to side, touching the bottom.3. For lumpy mixtures, add liquid a little at a time and whisk after each.4. For sauces on the stove, keep the whisk moving across the whole bottom of the pan. Done when: The mixture is even with no lumps or streaks of egg. How to whisk: mistakes to avoid

   in the bottled clam juice and the juice from the cans until smooth.
8. Add the potatoes, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a

   boil (how to boil)

   Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   .
9. Lower the heat and

   simmer (how to simmer)

   Simmer Cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. 1. Bring the liquid up over medium-high heat.2. As soon as bubbles rise steadily, turn the heat down.3. Adjust until only a few small bubbles break the surface every second or two.4. Stir now and then and check that it hasn't crept back to a boil. Done when: You see lazy, small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A "bare" simmer has just a bubble here and there. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to simmer: mistakes to avoid

   , stirring often so nothing sticks, until the potatoes are tender.
   ⏱ Simmer: 15 min
10. Stir in the milk and cream and heat until steaming. Don't let it boil.
    ⏱ Heat cream: 4 min
11. Stir in the clams and heat through. Canned clams are already cooked, so a short warm-up keeps them tender.
    ⏱ Add clams: 2 min
12. Remove the bay leaf.

    Season (how to season to taste)

    Season to taste Add salt (and pepper or acid) bit by bit, tasting as you go, until the food tastes fully of itself. 1. Season meat and vegetables before cooking, holding the salt high so it falls evenly.2. Taste the dish near the end with a clean spoon.3. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt, stir and taste again.4. If it tastes heavy or dull, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar brightens it.5. Stop when another pinch wouldn't make it better. Done when: The flavors are clear and bright, not flat and not salty. Safety: Don't taste dishes that hold raw meat, poultry or eggs; season them by the recipe's amounts and adjust after cooking.How to season to taste: mistakes to avoid

    with pepper, and salt only if needed, since the clams are salty.
13. Ladle into bowls and top with the bacon, parsley and oyster crackers.

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Tips

• Chowder thickens as it stands. Thin leftovers with a little milk.
• Using fresh clams? Steam 3 lb of littlenecks in 1 cup water until they open, chop the meat and use the strained liquid in place of bottled juice.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently without boiling. Cream-based chowder doesn't freeze well.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: potatoes (August to November).