Uncle Bill's West Coast Clam Chowder
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped small and lightly
fried
2 medium onions, chopped small
12 cups water
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
small
28 fl.oz. baby clams, including liquid
14 fl.oz. clam nectar
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2"
1 tsp. coarse salt
28 fl.oz. canned tomatoes, including
liquid
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 large celery stalks, chopped small
1 cup ketchup
4 cups whole milk, homogenized
1 1/2 cups instant potato flakes
Chop and lightly fry bacon; drain off
fat and discard. Add onions to bacon
and saute' about 3 minutes; do not brown.
In a large cooking pot, add water and
bring to boil. Add chopped carrots,
baby clams, clam nectar, cubed potatoes, salt and
pepper.
Puree' tomatoes in a food processor
or blender; add to cooking pot along
with bacon-onion mixture and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer
for 30 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender.
Do not overcook.
Add diced celery and ketchup and cook
for another 5 minutes. Add milk,
stirring constantly while adding and bring just
to boil.
Finally, add instant potato flakes and cook for 3 minutes.
Adjust seasonings to
taste. If soup is not thick enough to your liking,
add more instant potato flakes, about 2
tablespoons at a time.
Remove soup from heat and let sit for
about 15 minutes before serving.
Uncle Bill's Tips: Fresh baby clams can
be used. You will require about 4 pounds of baby
clams in the shell. Firstly, steam clams
in 2 1/2 cups of water until they open.
Save the liquid and pour through a very fine
sieve to remove any particles. Use liquid in the soup. Extract clams from the shell and add
to soup as
directed in the recipe.
Serves 20
William "Uncle Bill" Anatooskin
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