It’s officially cold winter weather here… perfect soup weather.  Clam chowder is an all-time favorite of mine… so creamy, flavorful, yet it still tastes fresh.  I got a little adventurous on this one (well, for me anyway), as I’ve never made clam chowder at home before, and have never steamed my own fresh clams… like ever.  I’m not a huge seafood person (I’m more of a chicken and beef gal), but I have a soft spot for clams… specifically, clam chowder and fried clam strips.  Ooooh, note to self: make fried clam strips at home soon! Alright, back to the post here lol… our usual grocery stores didn’t have any fresh clams (just the canned stuff), but luckily, my husband works over near a crazy, awesome, grocery store called Jungle Jims.  LOVE that store.  They had 2 types of clams… giant ones as big as my hand, and smaller ones.  I took a guess and thought that maybe the smaller ones would be more tender and therefore better tasting, but I could have been completely wrong lol.  He got us about 2 lbs. of fresh “live” clams, packed in some ice, and they hung out in my fridge for less than a day before steaming them. As nervous as I was to deal with fresh clams, I realized I didn’t need to be.  It was relatively simple  Plus, no aluminum taste from canned clams! This clam chowder recipe calls for leeks, which are yummy, but may not be an ingredient you’re all that used to.  The looks like this   To me, they look like a giant green onion on steroids lol.  Now all those layers mean there are a lot of places grit and dirt can settle, and when the leek is whole like that one, it’s almost impossible to clean.  So what I’ve found is easiest, is to chop the leek without cleaning it. See some of the dirt? Gross man, just gross Then I fill my sink up 1/3 of the way with water and toss my chopped leeks in.  I stir them around with my hands a few times, then let them sit.  The grit and dirt will sink to the bottom of the sink.  Just scoop out the leeks and dry them on a paper towel. Squeaky clean! Scrubbed and soaking in water until I’m ready to steam them Opened up and ready to eat! Chopped clams This is what your flour mixture will look like when it comes out of the oven This part doesn’t look so appetizing, but once you add the cream, it’ll look like what you expect clam chowder to look like Ohhhhh yeah! I wanted to top my clam chowder with some bacon and parsley, but you could choose to top yours with anything you’d like!   Recipe adapted from Fav Family Recipes Knock Your Socks Off Clam Chowder   Print Prep time 15 mins Cook time 40 mins Total time 55 mins   Hands down, this is the BEST clam chowder I've ever had! Author: The Chunky Chef Serves: 4-6 servings Ingredients ¾ cup butter melted 1 cup flour 1 cup celery finely diced 1 cup onions finely diced 1 cup leeks finely diced 3-4 cups red potatoes diced (use more or less depending on how thick you like your chowder) ¾ cup fresh clams steamed, shelled and chopped ¾ Tbsp black pepper 1½ Tbsp salt ¾ Tbsp dried thyme 2 sprigs fresh thyme 6 bay leaves 4 shakes Tabasco sauce 3 cups chicken broth ¾ cup clam juice 1 quart half and half TO STEAM THE CLAMS ¼ cup water ½ cup chicken broth 6 cloves garlic crushed Instructions FOR THE CLAMS Scrub your clams to get rid of any grit, and place in a bowl of salted water in the refrigerator. Bring your water, chicken broth and garlic to a boil. Add your clams, cover, and steam until they open up (around 6-7 minutes). If one or two clams don't open up, toss those, they're not good. Drain your clams, scoop out the meat and chop. FOR THE CHOWDER Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt your butter in a baking dish (I use a glass loaf pan), stir in flour and bake for 25-30 minutes. Place your soup pot over medium heat, add a little butter. Soften your vegetables for 3-5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT flour mixture and half and half. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes or so, until your potatoes are tender. Stir in your flour mixture once it's done baking. It will thicken the soup to an almost cookie dough consistency. Don't worry, it's supposed to look like that for now. Take off the heat and slowly stir in your half and half until soup is thick and creamy. Place back on the heat to warm through. Serve and enjoy! Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe 3.2.2885