Clam Chowder - Westcoast Style

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 1/2 lb lean bacon, chopped small and fried
• 2 medium onions, chopped small
• 12 cups water
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced 1/4 inch
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1/2 inch
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 28 fluid ounces canned tomatoes, including liquid
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 4 large celery ribs, chopped small
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 14 fluid ounces clam juice
• 28 fluid ounces canned baby clams, including liquid
• 4 cups whole milk, homogenized
• 1 1/2 cups instant potato flakes (idaho preferred)

Recipe

• 1 in a medium size frying pan, lightly fry chopped bacon until partially cooked.
• 2 drain and discard fat.
• 3 add chopped onions to bacon and saute' for 5 minutes, do not brown, set aside.
• 4 in a large cooking pot, add water and bring to boil.
• 5 add chopped carrots, cubed potatoes, salt and pepper.
• 6 puree' tomatoes in a food processor or blender and add to cooking pot.
• 7 add reserved bacon/onion mixture to pot and bring to boil.
• 8 reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender; do not overcook.
• 9 add diced celery and ketchup and cook for 5 minutes.
• 10 add clam nectar, baby clams and the liquid and simmer for 5 minutes.
• 11 add milk, stirring constantly while adding and bring to just boil.
• 12 finally, add instant potato flakes, stir well and simmer for 3 minutes.
• 13 adjust seasonings to taste. (add more instant potato flakes if soup is not thick enough to your liking.). the soup will thicken slightly the following day.
• 14 remove soup from heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• 15 fresh baby clams may be used.
• 16 you will require about 4 pounds of baby clams in the shell.
• 17 in a pot, add 2 1/2 cups water and clams.
• 18 cover and bring to boil and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until all clams are opened.
• 19 discard any clams that do not open.
• 20 save the liquid and pour through a very fine sieve to remove any particles and use the liquid in the soup same as the canned clams.
• 21 extract the clams from the shells and add to soup.
• 22 this soup can be canned.