INGREDIENTS
- 3 x 6.5 oz minced clams meat cans
- 6 sweet onions
- 1 bunch celery or celery hearts
- 5 lbs Idaho potatoes
- 1 qt heavy cream
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 1 qt light cream or 1/2 & 1/2
- 2 cups of flour
- 4 oz salted butter (1 stick)
- 1 lb bacon, cooked
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme or parsley
- ½ tbsp dill
- ½ tbsp savory
- 8 bay leaves
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh chives
- ½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- 1x 32 oz chicken broth
- 2 x 8 oz bottles Bar Harbor clam juice
- 4 gloves diced fresh garlic
- Chowder crackers (Optional)
- 2 tbsp mushroom seasoning
- 1 tbsp dry thymes leaves
- 1 tbsp dry cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp dry chives
DIRECTIONS
- 1.Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- 2.Clean and cut potatoes, celery and sweet onion into small square pieces. Set aside.
- 3.Clean and dice fresh thyme, cilantro, chives. Set aside.
- 4.Prepare spices by mixing dill, savory, seasoned salt, black pepper, mushroom seasoning, dry chives, dry thymes, dry cilantro.
- 5.Using a large tefflon non-stick pot, mix clam juice, milk, heavy cream, light cream (or 1/2 & 1/2). Add potatoes and spices mix from Step 4.
- 6.Cook bacon on cooking sheets in oven for 20 min or until crispy brown. Cut and dice bacon into small pieces.
- 7.Prepare roux by mixing flour and 1x32 oz chicken broth. Whisk until smooth. Empty into large non-stick pot from Step 5.
- 8.Using a large frying pan, add butter, fresh garlic. Cook until garlic is golden brown. Add sweet onion, celery, cooked bacon, fresh chives, fresh cilantro,. Stir evenly and cook for 2 minutes. Empty cooked ingredients into the large pot from Step 5
- 9.Add clams meat, clam juice, bay leaves and cook large pot of chowder over low heat, covered with pot cover for 3 hours.
- 10.Add potatoes. Cook over low heat for another 1-2 hours or when potatoes are soft but not overdone. Ready to serve with cut-up scallion, black pepper and chowder crackers (Optional)