Clam Chowder

     This clam chowder is so delicious! It pairs really well with good bread! A nice simple salad is really good with this, because the soup does not have any vegetables.My recipe calls for minced clams but today I did a mix of minced and chopped and it turned out great, DO NOT USE WHOLE CLAMS!!! This makes the bites really chewy and hard to eat! Chopped is fine but not whole! I would recommend apple smoked bacon because it adds a nice flavor to it, but any bacon will work well, same with the potatoes but I used golden. This is really good despite all the work put into it, it is definitely worth it! Recipe is below!

4-8 slices of bacon depending on how much bacon flavor want your  soup to have. Cooked to the crisp

1 large onion chopped

1 1/2 cups of water

4-5 cups of potatoes peeled and diced, depending on how thick you want your soup to be...About 5 potatoes

1/2 tablespoons salt 

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3-4 cups of half and half, I would recommend something closer to 4 cups if you are using closer to 5 cups of potatoes 

3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted

3 (6.5 oz) cans minced clams, drain the juice on one of the cans and add the juice with the other 2

3 tablespoons flour to thicken

Crush the crispy bacon into little Bits, but not to small. In a French oven, add the bacon grease from the Bacon, not all of it but about half. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Add the potatoes,water,salt, and pepper. Cook covered for 20 minutes until you can easily stick a fork through The potatoes without much effort. 

Then add the butter ,half and half,flour, and clams. Cook for another few minutes and then use a smart stick or blender to blend the potatoes into the soup. Add the bacon bits. Serve immediately with suggested bread and salad. Enjoy!