Description
Discover how to make the most delicious clam chowder with our easy-to-follow recipe. Learn the secrets to perfecting this classic seafood soup today!
Ingredients
- – 6 strips beef bacon (180 g)
- – 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
- – 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- – 2 ribs celery, diced
- – 3 cloves garlic, minced
- – 1 teaspoon (5 ml) hot sauce, or 1/2 tsp (3 ml) tabasco sauce
- – 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- – 1/3 cup flour (40 g)
- – 1 cup chicken broth (240 ml)
- – 3 cups Half and Half (720 ml)
- – 8 oz. (240 ml) clam juice
- – 1 chicken bouillon cube
- – 1 bay leaf
- – 1 ¼ lbs. (570 g) potatoes, see notes
- – 3 (6.5 oz (184 g). cans) chopped clams, juices reserved
- – Fresh parsley & Freshly cracked pepper, for serving
- – 1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) EACH: dried oregano, dried parsley
- – 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) EACH: dried thyme, salt
- – 1/8 teaspoon (1 ml) EACH: smoked paprika, pepper
Instructions
- Gently cook the beef bacon in a large soup pot over low heat. (I prefer to cut the bacon strips in half to make them fit better and cook evenly.) As the bacon sizzles, prepare and measure all other ingredients. Once the bacon is crisp, place it on a plate lined with paper towels to cool. Chop it once it’s cooled and set aside 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
- Wipe away any burnt bits from the pot but leave the flavorful bacon pieces for added taste.
- Add the saved bacon fat and vegetable oil to the pot over medium heat, using a silicone spatula to scrape and clean the bottom and sides. Add the diced onion and celery, tossing them to coat and soften for about 5-6 minutes. Incorporate the minced garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Cook for another minute.
- Mix in the flour, stirring non-stop for 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour scent.
- Gradually pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly, ensuring the pot is scraped clean as you go. Do the same with the half and half.
- Dissolve the chicken bouillon in the mixture and add the bay leaf. Pour in the juice from the chopped clams without adding the clams yet, followed by the extra clam juice.
- Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to maintain a soft simmer, partially covering the pot. Stir occasionally over 20 minutes.
- Peel, dice, and add the potatoes to the soup. Return to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. Lower the heat to a minimum.
- Introduce the clams to the pot and heat them through for about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
- Serve the soup in bowls, garnishing with chopped parsley, freshly cracked pepper, and the chopped bacon.
Notes
- For enhanced flavor, opt for Yukon Gold potatoes in this recipe.
- Finely chop the beef bacon for even distribution in the soup.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce to achieve your preferred level of spiciness.
