New England Clam Chowder

  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1 cup diced white onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 2 cans of clams in juice
  • 400g large hokkaido scallops
  • 500ml clam juice
  • 160g smoked panchetta
  • 1kg russet potatoes
  • 4tbs butter
  • 3tbs flour
  • 2 cups half/half or milk
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 25g thyme
  • 25g rosemary
  • 1tbs parsley
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cube chicken stock 
  • chives for garnish
  • worchestershire sauce/red wine vinegar 

Heat the pot with a little butter/olive oil and cook the panchetta on medium/low heat to render out the fan and crisp the bacon.

Dice the carrots, onions and celery. Fry on medium heat in the rendered bacon fat. Stir and fry until they’re soft. Add the potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and minced garlic and cook until you have some light browning in color on the onions.

Then add clam juice/chicken broth to the pot.  Simmer on low/medium for 20 minutes.

In another pot, over low heat, melt the butter and add flour to the butter. Stir the flour and butter for a minute or two, until it becomes thick like a paste. Slowly add your milk and continue stirring until you get a creamy thick bachemal.

Once the potatoes are soft, add the clams, scallops, bachemal, more half/half or milk and parsley, salt and pepper. Heat on low heat, make sure you don’t boil it.