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 Quick & Easy Clam Chowder | Status Approved | | Name |  Quick & Easy Clam Chowder | | Category | Soups & Stews, Fish & Seafood | | Serves/Yields | 4 servings | | Source | Kate's own | | Difficulty | Easy | | Prep. Time | 20 minutes | | Cook Time | 45 minutes | | Introduction | | While I prefer clam chowder made with fresh clams,this runs a good second. The bacon bits eliminate the mess (and extra fat) of cooking bacon while giving the soup a nice smokey flavor.
I use Hormel bacon bits because I think they have the best flavor. | | Ingredients | | 2 Stalks celery , sliced
2 med onions , diced
2 med carrots , peeled and sliced
4 med white potatoes , peeled and diced
1/4 cup real bacon bits (or 5 slices bacon cooked crisp and crumbled)
1 cube butter ( no substitutions)
1 8 oz bottle clam juice
5 cans chopped clams , with juice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 quart half_and_half ( or half milk and half cream)
1 tsp onion_powder
2 Tbsp all_purpose_flour
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley (save a bit for garnishing soup)
1 tsp ground black pepper
Sea_salt to taste
| | Directions | | Step: 1 | Drain clams into a mesh strainer over a bowl to catch the juice. Set clams aside. In a small sauce pan melt 1/2 cube butter, add the flour and cook over medium heat stirring constantly about 8 minutes. Remove roux from heat and set aside. In a 4 quart pot, melt the remaining 1/2 cube of butter. Add the bacon bits and onion. Cook, stirring often until the onion is limp. | | Step: 2 | Add the celery,potatoes and carrots and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally just until potatoes and carrots are tender.Add seasonings, clam juice ( both bottled and reserved from drained clams) half and half and roux. Cook, stirring often until soup is hot and slightly thickened( do not let soup boil) Adjust seasonings to taste.Add clams and cook 3 minutes more. Ladel soup into bowls and sprinkle with a little parsley.
Serve with crusty french bread or oyster crackers and a nice green salad.
Note:For cajun style clam chowder add 1 med red bell pepper, diced and sauted with onions and 1 tsp cajun seasoning. Adjust salt used as cajun seasoning usually contains salt. | | Nutrition Information | | You don't want to know! |
Time submitted: Tuesday, February 08. 2005 at 20:04:05 Contributed By: Kate
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