Potato Bacon Clam Chowder

A white, cream-based chowder, this recipe adds more then the usual ingredients. I added skin-on red potatoes, spinach leaves, mushrooms, and bacon for both flavor and texture. I don’t always measure exactly, more of an eye for ingredients as I go along. Feel free to experiment.

Step: 1

Place bacon in a large, heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour bacon drippings into bowl and reserve.

Step: 2

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the same saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onions in hot butter until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add potatoes, 1/2 the bottle of clam juice, celery, carrots, mushrooms, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Step: 3

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk flour into melted butter until smooth. Whisk milk, half-and-half, and cream into flour mixture until smooth and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir vegetable mixture, remaining clam juice, bay leaves, thyme, and dill into cream mixture. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are tender and chowder is hot, 15 minutes.

Step: 4

Stir minced clams, spinach leaves, and reserved bacon drippings into chowder. Cook until clams are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with cooked bacon.

Per Serving: 1059 calories; protein 42.4g; carbohydrates 57.6g; fat 74.1g; cholesterol 287.5mg; sodium 1358.1mg.

The name of “stew” can refer to 2 time a dish and a cooking method. Stewing makes slowly cooking piece of meat, vegetables or beans in a flavorful water based . It’s similar to braising, but it makes have a few piece of differences. The meat is chopped into smaller pieces instead of being cooked all of it , and the water based material all of it covers the essential in a stew as different to a braise’s halfway full . When meat or raw fruit are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.

Stew has a perception for making a rib-sticking eating process that comfortable you up on a freezing , winter day. It’s true ; a bowl of classic beef stew does have warming featured food , but stew’s cozy factor goes way beyond preserving you from the chill . It’s all about those tender chunks of meat and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy. The more they come together creates the ultimate comfort food, no matter the weather.