- 6
Ingredients
- 2 dozen small clams
- 1 quart, plus 1 cup water
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 ounces pancetta, cut into cubes
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 10 sprigs (leaves) thyme
- 1 cup King Arthur flour
- 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 pinch ground pepper
- 1 bunch chives, minced
Preparation
Step 1
Wash and scrub the clams to get rid of the dirt. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Place the clams, garlic and bay leaves in the boiling water, cover and steam over medium-high heat until all the clams have opened, about 15 minutes. Check every 5 minutes or so to pull out the clams that have opened (some take longer than others). Discard any clams that do not open.
Pull clam meat out of their shells and chop them roughly, then set aside.
Pour the broth into a big bowl through a strainer that you've lined with cheesecloth, just in case there is some left over sand. Set the broth aside.
Rinse out the pot and return it to the stove over medium heat. Add the pancetta, celery, onion and the thyme. Saute for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
Sprinkle the flour into the pot. Stir and coat everything well. Gradually pour in the strained clam broth, whisking constantly to break up any lumps of flour. When all the broth is incorporated, fold in the potatoes and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes. The chowder will start to thicken from the potato starch.
Reduce the heat to low and fold in the chopped clams, cream and milk.Season the chowder with salt and many turns of black pepper and stir everything together to heat through, but DO NOT let it boil. Serve in large bowls garnished wit hth diced chives.