Great Lakes Clam Chowder
This is the BEST clam chowder in the Midwest!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 (8 ounces) bottles clam juice
- 1 pound Russet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter
- 3 thick cut slices of bacon finely chopped
- 2 medium yellow onions finely chopped
- 2 large stalks of celery finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 6 (6 ½ ounce) cans chopped clams, drained and juices reserved
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ¼ cups half and half
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon dry Sherry
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Tabasco sauce optional
- Chopped fresh chives
- Oyster crackers
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the bottled clam juice and potatoes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In a small bowl, mix together the reserved clam juices and cornstarch; set aside.
- In a large stock pot set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the bacon and cook until the bacon begins to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and bay leaf and sauté until the vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the potato mixture and reserved clam juice mixture and bring to a boil. Stir until thickened about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the clams, half and half, Worcestershire, and Sherry. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt, pepper, and optional hot sauce.
- Serve with a garnish of chopped fresh chives and a handful of oyster crackers. Can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to a slow simmer before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 434IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg
