Eating Normal Clam Chowder

My husband and I spent enough time in Delaware that our preferred winter soup for a chilly day is New England Clam Chowder. Over the years, I’ve edited old recipes to get down to one that is uniquely Eating Normal, and today I share it with you. It’s going to be a very cold week in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and I assure you that we already made our chowder to get through the weekend. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 Medium Russet Potatoes
• ½ medium yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 strips of bacon
• 1 bottle of claim juice
• 2 cans of baby clams, juice reserved
• 1 tbs flour
• 1 tbs butter
• 4 oz cream cheese
• ¼ cup whole milk

Toppings:

• Oyster Crackers
• Hot Sauce
• Chives/Green onion
  
• reserved bacon bits
  
  

 

1. Heat a medium size pot over medium heat. Chop bacon strips into small pieces and add to the top. Allow to render fat and crisp up. While bacon is cooking, skin and chop potatoes into small pieces, dice onion and garlic. Place potatoes in a bowl of water to prevent browning.
2. Remove bacon bits from the pan and add onion. Allow to sweat out for about two minute before adding garlic. As the garlic becomes aromatic, add butter to the pan. Once melted, add butter to create a roux around the garlic and onion. Cook for about 2 minutes to work out the raw flour taste.
3. Add potatoes and stir with the roux mixture. Allow a minute for them to cook together before pouring over small bottle of clam juice and the reserved juice from the canned clams. If your potatoes are not submerged, fill the clam juice bottle halfway with water and pour into the pot.
4. Bring to boil and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, checking potatoes for your preferred doneness. When the potatoes are cooked, reduce heat to low and use a potato masher or silicone spatula to begin breaking up some of the potatoes along the wall of the pot. 
5. Add 4 oz cream cheese and stir constantly to combine. This will help thicken the chowder. Definitely not traditional, but tasty! After the cream cheese has melted in, add your clams. Add whole milk until your desired consistency is reached.
6. Serve with oyster crackers and hot sauce, the reserved bacon bits, and your choice of chives or green onion.

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