Clam Chowder

Ingredients

3 cans shucked baby clams

2 cups chicken broth

6 strips of bacon, sliced

2 medium onions, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 celery ribs, diced

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced

1 can of corn

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 cup half-and-half

¼ cup parsley

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp Tabasco

salt & pepper

sourdough or crackers

In a large soup pot, add the clams and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, cover and cook.
Strain the clam liquid into a large measuring cup (there should be 2 cups of liquid).
Add the chicken broth.
Wipe out the soup pot and place over moderate heat.
Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 12 minutes.
Add the onions, carrots, celery, 2 teaspoons of salt, cayenne and bay leaf.
Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the flour and cook until it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the clam-broth mixture and bring to a boil.
Add potatoes, corn and Old Bay and simmer over moderately low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the half-and-half, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
Remove from the heat and stir in the clams.
Discard bay leaf and season the chowder with salt and pepper.