Clam Chowder

Long a tightly held secret here in the tom-mcgee.com test kitchens, now for the first time we’re making it public. Enjoy.

Tom’s Clam Chowder

1/4 – 1/2 lb. bacon, cubed. Preferably slab, more if lean, less if fatty.
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 medium-large potatoes, diced
1 dozen big clams, shucked and chopped, with the liquid strained.
a few tablespoons flour
1 quart half-and-half
1 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Render the bacon until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Put in the onions, and saute until translucent
3. Add enough flour to the onion/bacon fat mixture to absorb it all and make a thick paste. Stir for a minute or two but don’t brown.
4. Add the reserved clam liquid and stir to combine
5. Slowly add the half-and-half, stir to combine
6. Bring to barely a boil
7. Add the potatoes, then simmer until the potatoes are soft.
8. Take a few chunks of potato and mash them with a fork to thicken the soup to where you want it.
9. Add the shucked clams, stir, and bring back to a simmer.
10. Stir in the reserved bacon
11. Season to taste (I like lots of coarse black pepper.) and serve.

Serve with dots of butter on top of each bowl.