New England Clam Chowder

Fall is my favorite season. The leaves are turning beautiful colors. The garden (and most of the canning) is done for the year - and it's soup weather. Soup is probably one of my most favorite things to make. It can be a specific recipe, like the New England clam chowder below, or it can be a catch-all of leftover vegetables and meats from dinner the night before. It can be something quick on the stovetop, or I can have a stew cooking low and slow all day in the crockpot. The possibilities are endless.

While French onion soup is at the top of my list for soup, my absolute favorite would have to be clam chowder. Not Manhattan-style clam chowder, but the creamy, thick version of New England clam chowder. If it's on the menu when we eat out, I order it. I could eat it every day. I don't make it often at home, but when I do, the recipe from A Family Feast is the one I like to use. Since we live in the Midwest and don't have access to fresh clams, I've modified the recipe to how to make it using canned clams.

While this recipe was a little thinner in consistency than I like, the flavors were terrific. Next time I make this, I'll add a little more flour and develop the roux more to help thicken the soup.

New England Clam Chowder

10 ounces canned chopped clams
3 cups bottled clam juice
1 ounce salt pork, diced
1 1/2 ounces bacon, diced fine
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2-inch thick
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
Black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
Butter for serving

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, cook diced salt port and bacon over medium heat until rendered and the pork fat pieces are slightly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, and melt.

Add celery, onions, garlic and half the potatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Stir often. Add the flour, and cook for another minute.

Add the 3 cups of clam juice, the rest of the potatoes, thyme and bay leaf, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat. Discard the bay leaf, and add the chopped clams and cream. (If making the chowder ahead of time, don't add the cream until you're ready to heat and serve.)

Season the chowder with freshly ground black pepper as needed, and heat to serving temperature. Additional salt may not be needed if you use the salt pork (or if you use fresh clams).

Serve with a dollop of butter over each portion and oyster crackers on the side.

Yield: 4 servings