New England Clam Chowder with Smoked Bacon

Published on January 9, 2014 | In American | By The Social Chef |

- Prep Time
- 12 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 60 Minutes
- Difficulty Level

Give me bacon or give me death…or something like that. I love clams and I love bacon so I combined two foods I adore and made a super winter dish, New England clam chowder with smoked bacon. The bacon is an option but the clams aren’t or maybe I have that backwards. Nonetheless I will say a key to this dish are at least 6-12 fresh clams. You can use chopped clams from a can for the bulk of the dish but fresh clams are the key and at least a cup or two of bottled clam juice. If you use all fresh clams (50) you won’t need the bottled clam juice and most likely no canned clams either but you make that call.

Recipe Rating

(1 Rating)

Ingredients

12-50 large cherrystone clams scrubbed and rinsed
3 strips thick cut smoked bacon diced
2 cups pealed Yukon potatoes cut into one inch pieces
1 medium sweet onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves garlic minsed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Using a large heavy pot over medium high heat add bacon and sauté until crispy transferring bacon to paper towel reserving bacon fat in pot
2. Combine onions and a pinch of salt sautéing for 5-minutes
3. Combine celery, thyme and bay leaves, stir and sauté for 5-minutes
4. Add garlic and sauté for 1-minute
5. Combine potatoes, pinch of salt, pepper, chicken broth increasing heat to high until it boils cooking for 15-minutes or potatoes are almost cooked through but slightly al dente stirring every 5-minutes. The last 5-minutes add fresh clams cover with lid until opened, remove clams and hold discarding any clams that do not open
6. Meanwhile in a small pot over medium heat melt butter adding flour and whisk until thick cooking out the flour, remove pot from stove and hold
7. Meanwhile using another pot over medium high heat combine milk and heavy cream until it starts to simmer then adding flour and butter mixture and whisk until thick
8. Combine canned clams with juice, bottled clam juice and heavy cream and milk mixture and stir well
9. Remove fresh clams from shell, chop and add to pot
10. Add shells (optional) back to pot as it cooks for another 10-minutes and serve or cover and hold for 30-minutes to allow the clam flavor to intensify
11. Serve hot and garnish with bacon

Servings : 8
Ready in : 75
Course : Appetizer, Entrée
Recipe Type : Bacon, Seafood, Soup

Instructions

1. Using a large heavy pot over medium high heat add bacon and sauté until crispy transferring bacon to paper towel reserving bacon fat in pot
2. Combine onions and a pinch of salt sautéing for 5-minutes
3. Combine celery, thyme and bay leaves, stir and sauté for 5-minutes
4. Add garlic and sauté for 1-minute
5. Combine potatoes, pinch of salt, pepper, chicken broth increasing heat to high until it boils cooking for 15-minutes or potatoes are almost cooked through but slightly al dente stirring every 5-minutes. The last 5-minutes add fresh clams cover with lid until opened, remove clams and hold discarding any clams that do not open
6. Meanwhile in a small pot over medium heat melt butter adding flour and whisk until thick cooking out the flour, remove pot from stove and hold
7. Meanwhile using another pot over medium high heat combine milk and heavy cream until it starts to simmer then adding flour and butter mixture and whisk until thick
8. Combine canned clams with juice, bottled clam juice and heavy cream and milk mixture and stir well
9. Remove fresh clams from shell, chop and add to pot
10. Add shells (optional) back to pot as it cooks for another 10-minutes and serve or cover and hold for 30-minutes to allow the clam flavor to intensify
11. Serve hot and garnish with bacon

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About Chef

The Social Chef

Michael Van Horn (aka MJ) 'The Social Chef', has incorporated his passion for culinary with his love and artistic ability of photography, his infatuation with writing, his charismatic ways of ...