New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 large leek (about 8 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 to 3 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (about ½ cup)
• 1 large clove garlic, grated or coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (2 to 3 tablespoons)
• 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice (2 cups)
• 1 cup cold water
• 8 ounces potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about 2 cups)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ear corn, husked and kernels removed (about 1 cup)
• 2 (10-ounce) cans baby clams
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Chopped fresh chives, optional

Method

1. To clean the leek, trim the root and discard. Remove the outer dark green layers of the leaves, then cut away and dark green or damaged inner layers. (These dark green leaves can be washed well and saved for stock.) Cut the leek into quarters lengthwise, stopping short of the root end, keeping the leek intact. Rinse well under cold water to remove any dirt and grit. Cut crosswise, into ½-inch slices. You should have about 4 cups.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the leek and garlic into the bacon and cook for 1 minute. Add the thyme, jalapeño, clam juice, ½ cup of the water, the potatoes, the salt, and the pepper.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour and the remaining ½ cup water, whisking until smooth. Pour the mixture into the soup, stirring until incorporated, then bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the corn kernels and clams and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream.
4. Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with chives, if you like.

Notes

When I worked at Howard Johnson’s, I used to make New England clam chowder in three thousand-gallon batches. Now I like to make much smaller versions using canned clams and clam juice from my pantry. You can use onion instead of leek, if you like.