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Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup thinly sliced leek (white part only)
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup green pepper
3 Tablespoon flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup finely diced potato
12 large hard-shelled clams (see note on prep)
OR two 7 oz. cans of minced clams, drained (save liquid)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon thyme
3 drops Tabasco (or your favorite hot sauce)
Pinch white pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Finely chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1. Melt butter over low heat in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add celery, leeks, onion, and green pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until partially tender.
2. Blend flour into the vegetable-butter mixture; heat until bubbly. Gradually add milk and cream, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer 25 to 35 minutes, stirring frequently. Add minced clams and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Stir in potato, reserved clam liquid, salt, thyme, and Tabasco sauce.
4. Pour into soup tureen or individual soup bowls.
Garnish with parsley.
Note: To prepare fresh clams and broth, rinse clams thoroughly under running, cold water. Place clams in sauce pan and add 3 cups water. Cook over medium heat until shells open completely. Drain the clams, reserving 2 cups of broth for chowder. Remove clams from shells. cut off the hard outside (combs) and chop clams into small, fine pieces. Decrease milk in chowder to 1 cup. |
