GB, I am seriously having clam envy ! I guess the recipe would be determined by how many pounds of clams you have. Just make sure to catch all of the juice when you shuck them, and I would chop some and leave some whole. Reserve the whole ones and add at the end, just before serving. My family is originally from back East and this is what we do:
For each 20 ounces of chopped clams w/ juice use:
5 lbs. potatoes (starchy type, not waxy type) diced, I like to vary the dice so some dissolves and some stays in chunks
6 pieces crisp fried bacon, crumbled (salt pork is traditional, but we like the smoky flavor of the bacon), reserve fat
2 celery stalks (not more because can get overpowering) including leaves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces water (DO NOT USE TOO MUCH WATER!)
1 quart whole raw milk (I know, almost impossible to get but you cannot get the same flavor/texture using pasturized milk!)
Fresh Dill to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sweat the onion and celery in the reserved bacon fat. Add potatoes and water and simmer until potatoes are just slightly undercooked. Do not drain.
Add milk and bacon and chopped clams with reserved juice (if you're a blue blood, this is the liquor!) and simmer till thick (DO NOT BOIL!) If chowder does not thicken, you may use a slurry of cornstarch/water to get the consistency you like.
Add whole clams and dill just prior to serving. Salt and pepper to taste.
What time is dinner?
Warm regards,
Lori
P.S. This is one of the FEW recipes in which I do not add garlic. It just does not belong in clam chowder (this coming from one accused of putting garlic in everything
) Also, no heavy spice like traditional Old Bay for me, I want the pure flavor of clam, baby!