New England Clam Chowda

Ever since the first time I tried New England Clam Chowda, I absolutely loved It! Every time I'm back east I make sure to eat as much of it as I possibly can because unfortunately, I can't get wicked good chowda here in Arizona.


While I was off for maternity leave for my second little bundle of joy I decided I was going to make clam chowder for a few reasons. One I had an abundance of potatoes because they were on sale :) Two I knew that it would be a good gluten free meal that hubby could enjoy since he needs to stay away from wheat. And three, I just really wanted a good clam chowder recipe that I could use especially around lent. The nice part about this is that you can through it all in the crockpot and it is super easy to make, not very time consuming at all.  Also I use chicken broth because I am not starting out with fresh clams but you could use all clam juice instead of chicken broth. So here is what I ended up with which is based on Emeril's New England Clam Chowder recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I did.


Ingredients:


6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
2 cans (14.5oz can)of chicken broth
1 bottle of clam juice
2 cans of minced clams (don't discard the juice)
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
extra butter for garnish


Directions:


In a large pot cook the bacon until it is nice and crispy. Discard all the grease except for 2 tablespoons. Add the 4 tablespoons butter, onions, celery and cook until softened. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves and cook until the vegetables are thoroughly wilted, be careful not to brown them. Add the potatoes and clam juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the broth thickens slightly and the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. I like a thicker broth, so I mashed some of the potatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, Discard the thyme stems and bay leaves, stir in the clams, cream, and season with the pepper and the salt to taste. When you serve it put a pat of butter on top and oyster crackers on the side.