Chef Christopher Lee's Clam Chowder

Yields: 4qts

Ingredients:

• 1 qt Can Chopped Clams & juice its comes with
• 6 cups Clam Juice
• 2 cups Red Bliss Potatoes – small dice
• 1 ½ cups Carrots- small dice
• 1 ½ cups Celery – small dice
• 1 ½ cups Fennel – small dice
• 2 cups Yellow Onion, small dice
• 1 cup cooked bacon – chopped
• 3 cloves garlic – mince
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• ¼ cup AP Flour
• 4 TB sweet butter
• 4 sprigs thyme – leave only
• 1 sprig oregano – leaves only and mince
•  ½ Lemon
• ¼ cup Parsley – minced
• 3tb dill – minced
• Salt Pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat a large pot or a 7qt Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Once hot, add 3oz extra virgin olive oil and start to sweat the carrots, celery, fennel, onion, and garlic until translucent with no color.  Takes about 5 minutes.
2. Then add the bacon, clams, clam juice, thyme, and oregano and cook for 20 minutes.
3. When the soup is cooking, start to prepare the roux.  Melt the butter in pan and then add the butter.  Turn the heat to low and cook the roux for about 10 minutes.  Continue to mix the roux so it doesn’t burn.
4. After 20 minutes, add the potatoes and heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes, temper the roux with some soup to prevent roux balls and then add the roux into the soup.  Mix well and simmer for another 10 minutes. 
6. Finish the soup with salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley, and dill.  Mix well and the soup is ready to serve.
7. Helpful tips:
   1. The soup will last up to 5 days in a refrigerator. 
   2. If the soup is too thick, add some water and re-season the soup.
   3. If the soup is too thin, make some more roux and add it to the soup.  But allow the soup to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes after adding more roux so the flour cooks out.

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