New England Clambake Chowder

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cups red potatoes, bite-size chunks
• 2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans clams, minced and drained
• 1/2 lb hot italian sausage, cooked and drained
• 6 slices bacon, crisp and crumbled
• coarse salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tespoons sherry wine vinegar

Recipe

• 1 in a large stockpot, saute' the onion, celery, and potatoes in butter. cook for about 10 - 12 minutes, or until the onions and celery are soft; stirring occasionally.
• 2 add the next 8 ingredients to the pot, give a good stir. season with salt and pepper.
• 3 in measuring cup, mix flour with a little bit of warm water to dissolve it and make it paste-like. add flour mixture to pot and bring just to boiling. (if you want a thicker base, add a little bit more flour.).
• 4 cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. stir in the sherry wine vinegar, simmer another minute or two.
• 5 remove the bay leaves. ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve hot with oyster crackers or crusty italian bread.
• 6 serving tip: cut a lid out of a small round loaf of sourdough bread, just as you would a pumpkin. hollow out most of the bread (save for breadcrumbs or toasted croutons). toast the sourdouch round lightly in the oven; serve warm chowder inside the bread bowl.