New England Clam Chowder
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cans chopped clams, 6.5 oz each
- 16 fl oz clam juice, bottled
- 1 ½ lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- kosher salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- oyster crackers, for serving (optional)
New England Clam Chowder
- Drain the clams through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Keep the clams and the juice separately.
- Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp.
- Lift the bacon onto paper towels, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Add the butter, onion and celery and cook until soft.
- Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the bottled clam juice and the juice from the cans until smooth.
- Add the potatoes, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often so nothing sticks, until the potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the milk and cream and heat until steaming. Don't let it boil.
- Stir in the clams and heat through. Canned clams are already cooked, so a short warm-up keeps them tender.
New England Clam Chowder
- Remove the bay leaf. Season with pepper, and salt only if needed, since the clams are salty.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the bacon, parsley and oyster crackers.