It's Getting Cool Outside - Karan's Clam Chowder

I tried something entirely new tonight.  I’ve been going through an “I want to try something different” phase.  During my Thursday night shopping escapade, I though I might like to try Clam Chowder.  I had never tried it in my life.  I bought two 6 oz cans of clams, on 8 oz bottle of clam juice, and one quart of half and half.  I assumed those three ingredients would have me well on my way to Clam Chowder.  Hmmmm.

I googled Clam Chowder and found hundreds of recipes online.  None by itself sounded very good to me, so I took an idea or two from several recipes and created a new recipe of my own.  We had it for dinner tonight, and it was good.  I was really pleasantly surprised. 

½ lb of bacon (fried)

2 Tbsp butter

½ tsp each oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary

¼ tsp each marjoram, dill weed, and sage

1 tsp parsley

1 large onion (coarsely chopped)

½ lb baby carrots (sliced thin)

4 stalks celery (sliced thin)

3 medium potatoes (diced)

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

¼ cup flour

1 – 14 oz can of chicken stock

1 – 8 oz bottle of clam juice

1 quart of Half & Half

2 – 6 oz cans of diced clams

Fry the bacon in a deep 12” skillet.  Remove bacon and drain on paper towel.

Wash and cut vegetables while bacon fries. 

Add butter to bacon grease, and then add all spices

Add all veggies and cook for 15 – 20 minutes (stirring frequently)

Add sea salt and fresh ground cracked pepper to taste

Stir in the flour and cook while stirring for three minutes

Pour in chicken stock slowly while stirring (mixture will the thick)

Pour in clam juice and drain the juice from the canned clams into the pan too

Bring to a slow boil and allow veggies to cook until tender (about 10 mins)

Slowly stir in the Half & Half

Crumble the bacon and add to the pan

Pour in the diced clams

Heat until boiling

Serve with browned dinner rolls. 

This was good – I don’t have a Clam Chowder reference point – but it does have the key ingredients.