New England clam chowder

Prepared 0 of 6 steps

1. 01

   Sort the clams

   Rinse the shells and follow the supplier’s instructions for purging sand. Discard damaged shells and open clams that do not close when tapped. Dice potatoes to 1.5 cm; finely chop onion and celery.

2. 02

   Open and strain the clams

   Bring the water to the boil, add clams and cover. Cook for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pot, until the shells open. Discard any still closed. Remove the meat and pass all the cooking liquid through a paper filter to remove sand.

3. 03

   Make the base

   In another saucepan, render chopped bacon for 5 minutes. Add butter, onion and celery for 7–8 minutes. Stir in flour for 2 minutes, then gradually add filtered clam juice, stirring thoroughly.

4. 04

   Boil the potatoes

   Add potatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until the cubes soften, stirring occasionally from the base. If liquid is low, add some of the measured milk early so the potatoes do not cook dry.

5. 05

   Heat the milk and cream

   Add remaining milk, cream, pepper and salt, allowing for the salty clam juice. Heat gently for 5 minutes without boiling hard, then remove bay leaf and thyme stalks.

6. 06

   Return the clams

   Add clam meat and heat for 2 minutes without prolonged cooking. Divide the soup between bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped chives. Leave shells out; bread and crackers are not included.