Autumn Clam Chowder
When fall arrives along with football and cold & flu season, there’s nothing better than a cup of hot chowder. I have tried many different potato soup, clam chowder and other hearty recipes, and settled on this combination as my favorite – it has the best of all flavors and it’s easy to spice it up more or less to your personal tastes. I happened to have a fresh crab for the last pot, so I added the meat in at the last minute for a bit of extra seafood flavor.
Autumn Clam Chowder
(2) 6.5 oz. cans of minced clams
3-4 slices of bacon, cut in half
3-4 medium potatoes, cubed
1 med. onion, chopped
1 t. chicken bouillon
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. dried, crushed thyme
(1) 15-oz can fire roasted or southwestern style corn, drained
1 fire-roasted red pepper, chopped
2-4 T. jalapeno peppers (jarred), chopped
salt & pepper to taste
2 c. milk
1 c. half-and-half
2 T. all-purpose flour
Strain the clams into a measuring cup, saving the juice. Set the clams aside and add water to the juice until it equals 1 cup, then set aside. In a large pot, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. To the bacon drippings, add the onions and cook few minutes until soft. Add the clam juice, potatoes, thyme, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling, then cover, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Mash them lightly.
Whisk together the milk, half-and-half, and flour. Add to the potato mixture and increase heat back to medium. Cook and stir often until slightly thickened and near boiling. Stir in the clams, jalapenos, red pepper, clams, crumbled bacon and corn. Bring the mixture back up to boiling and until everything is heated thoroughly. Serve in large mugs or bowls, sprinkled with more chopped peppers or shredded cheddar cheese if desired.
