Clam Chowder

By draingal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks chopped celery
• 2 cups cooked, diced potatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons clam base or 1 1/4 cup clam juice
• 1 teaspoon whole thyme
• 1 teaspoon whole basil
• Dash garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 25 ounces chopped clams with liquid (may use fresh or frozen clams with a 12 ounce bottle of clam juice)
• 6 ounces smoked salmon
• 5 cups water
• 2 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 cup hot half and half cream

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add flour and make a roux; stir and cook until smooth (4-5 minutes. Do not allow to brown). Remove from heat and set aside.
In another soup pot, place all other ingredients except potatoes, and bring ingredients to a boil and cook until vegetables are soft, and then add potatoes and heat.
Add roux from sauce pan and continue cooking the chowder, stirring frequently until chowder thickens.
Once thickened, add hot cream to correct consistency; taste and adjust seasoning.