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clam-chowder-simplywanderfull
simplywanderfull

Easy Clam Chowder Recipe

Creamy, hearty Maritimes clam chowder packed with tender clams, smoky bacon, potatoes, and vegetables. Easy homemade recipe that's rich, comforting, and perfect for cold days.
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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1/2 stick butter
  • 2 chopped yellow onions
  • 3 stalks diced celery
  • 3 carrots diced
  • 3 peeled medium-diced boiling potatoes
  • 2 slices of bacon diced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 -8 oz. bottles Bar Harbor Clam Juice
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cans Bar Harbor chopped sea clams

Method
 

Base
  1. Melt 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot
  2. Add onions and bacon and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until translucent
  3. Add celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper
  4. Sauté for an additional 10 minutes
Broth Preparation
  1. Add clam juice to the pot
  2. Bring to a boil
  3. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes
Roux and Thickening
  1. In a small pot, melt the remaining 4 tbsp. tablespoons of butter
  2. Whisk in flour
  3. Cook over very low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly
  4. Whisk in a cup of hot broth
  5. Pour the mixture back into the cooked vegetables
  6. Simmer until the broth thickens
  7. Add milk and clams
  8. Heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams
  9. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed