Modern Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Fresh clams, scrubbed (About 1 quart)
• 4 cups Potatoes, peeled and diced (About 2 medium potatoes)
• 2 ounces Salt pork, diced (Or substitute with bacon)
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 0.125 teaspoon Black pepper
• 4 tablespoons Butter
• 4 cups Milk
• 1 cup Oyster crackers
• 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
• 2.5 cups Water

Instructions

1. 1Clean and pick over the clams. Reserve 1 cup of the clam liquor. Heat the reserved liquor to boiling point and strain it to remove any sand or debris. Chop the hard part of the clams finely, leaving the soft part whole.
2. 2Cut the salt pork into small pieces and render in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy. Remove the rendered pork pieces and set aside, reserving the rendered fat in the pot. Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté in the rendered fat for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent.
3. 3Parboil the diced potatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
4. 4In the pot with the sautéed onions, layer half of the parboiled potatoes, followed by the chopped clams. Sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper, and dredge generously with half of the flour. Add the remaining potatoes, sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper, and dredge with the remaining flour. Add the boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes.
5. 5Add the milk, the soft part of the clams, and the butter to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Add the oyster crackers just before serving.
6. 6Reheat the reserved clam water to boiling point. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining tablespoon of butter and flour to form a smooth paste. Add this paste to the boiling clam water and whisk until thickened. Add this thickened clam water to the chowder just before serving. This step helps to prevent the milk from separating.