Clam Chowder

I spent a good deal of my life in New England, so when I say clam chowder, you'd better believe it's WHITE clam chowdah I'm talking about.  Because of hubby's job, we haven't spent much of the last 15 years in New England, so I've been looking for something to take care of my cravings for chowder.  Snow's (in a can) is the ONLY acceptable substitute for homemade, but that's not available everywhere either.  So, after many years and many tweaks, here is my recipe.  It is, I will confess, amazingly delicious.  Enjoy!

Add a bunch of black pepper at the end and serve with a crusty bread and a nice salad. Yum-O!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound bacon, chopped finely 1 large onion, chopped finely 2 ribs celery, chopped finely 2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp cornstarch 2 bottles clam juice 2 cups chicken broth 4 cans chopped clams 6 cups half-and-half (or 3 cups milk and 3 cups cream) 6 baked potatoes, peeled and diced 1-3 cups mashed potato flakes (depends how thick you want it)

Directions:

Saute the bacon over medium heat until brown and the fat is rendered. This will take a good 10 minutes, so be patient!! Drain most of the fat. Leave a bit, maybe a tablespoon. Put in the butter, add the onions and celery, and saute until tender, but not brown. Turn down the heat if they are browning. Mix cornstarch with the clam juice, add to pot. Add half-and-half and chicken broth. Add chopped clams and potatoes. Bring to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL or it will break (look curdled). Add potato flakes slowly (or you’ll get clumps). Simmer very, very gently. Add plenty of pepper to taste.