This is a quick and easy recipe for Sunday night supper or whenever the mood strikes. Keep some cans of clams in the cupboard. The other ingredients are usually already on hand. Serve with crusty bread and a fresh salad.

A Little        Moderate   A Lot

2 bowls      4 bowls      6 to 8 as a main course

1                 2                 4                 Slices of Bacon

½                1                 2                 Cup Diced Onion

1                 2                 4                 Small Cans Chopped Clams (9 oz)

1                 2                 4                 Cups ½ inch diced Yukon Gold Potatoes

½                1                 2                 tsp Salt

1                 2                 4                 Cups Half and Half or whole milk

1                 2                 4                 Tbsp Butter

Drain the clams and save the juice.

Cook the bacon till crisp and reserve.  Sauté the onions on low heat in the bacon fat (add more oil if needed or pour off if too much) until tender.

Add the reserved clam juice, potatoes, chopped cooked bacon and salt. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add more liquid to cover the potatoes if needed.  Add the clams when the potatoes are cooked.

At this point, you have chowder base which can be held till dinner or kept in the refrigerator for future use.  Make the chowder up to this point and finish it off when you are ready to serve.

Add the milk to the warm base and heat, but do not boil. Put a dab of butter in each warmed bowl, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve.

Traditionally served with Oyster crackers or saltines.

Unlike commercial chowders, this recipe does not use a roux to thicken and bind, so it’s a little more delicate and not so thick, like a traditional chowder. Be careful not to boil.