Clam Chowder

From Yankee Magazine — January 2008

Soups, Stews, Chowders Recipes

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 75 minutes

Yield: Yield: 6 servings

You can't have a story about New England soups without mentioning clam chowder. Everyone has his or her own version, and I think I've tasted them all.I hope you like mine -- it's lighter and more elegant than the glunky chowders of my childhood (sorry, Mom), yet comfortably filling nonetheless.

• 7 pounds cherrystone clams, scrubbed and rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 4 strips bacon, finely chopped
• 1 medium Spanish onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 large red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup heavy cream

In a large soup pot over high heat, add clams to 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook just until clams open, about 10 minutes. Remove clams from broth and set aside. (Discard any clams that don't open.) Strain broth through a sieve lined with a coffee filter and set aside.

Clean your soup pot; then over medium-high heat, sauté bacon until it's browned and fat is rendered. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a paper towel. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add diced onion to the pot and sauté until translucent.

Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, being careful not to brown. Whisk in reserved clam broth. Add potatoes and thyme, and simmer 10 minutes.

Remove clams from shells, reserving liquid, and chop roughly. Strain liquid; then add clams and liquid to the pot. Stir in parsley and cream and cook just long enough to heat clams through, about 3 minutes.

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