Happy As A Clam

Chowder that is. Clam chowder. Makes me as happy as a clam. Is the clam happy? Not so much, but I am. I finally got the perfect recipe down. It reminds me of the clam chowder you will find at the supper club in town. Really yummy and good to the bone. Creamy and thick, loaded with clams and potatoes and tons of flavor. This is a New England clam chowder recipe. New England being cream based verses his broth based cousin, Manhattan.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks (with tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams, drained (reserve juice)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into 1/2- inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from 2 cans of chopped clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes. 

This makes a small batch, our family of five will eat this all in one sitting.  I would double this recipe, if I were you and you can be happy as a clam too.