Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 lb (1.5 kg) littleneck clams in their shells, well scrubbed
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) bottled clam juice or homemade fish stock ( see below)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
½ cup (3 oz/90 g) diced salt pork
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 Tbs all–purpose  flour
2 waxy red or white potatoes, about 10 oz (315g) total weights, diced.
3 cups (24 fl oz/ 750 ml) milk or half–and– half (half cream)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh flat – leaf (Italian) parsley
Chowder crackers for garnish

How to prepare:

In a big pan over medium to high heat, add the clams and clam juice and bring to a boil.Continue cooking at a simmer , with the pan covered. Wait until the clams have opened, and remove the pot from the heat. Throw away the clams that have not opened. Remove all of the clams out of their shells, cut them if they are large ( reserve a few in the shells for the garnish)

Once you are done with that, strain the clam juice through a fine cheese-cloth. Once you are done, you will have about 1 1/2 cups. Set this aside

In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter, then add the onion and saute it until it softens. Then add the salt pork and continue to saute until the pork has fully cooked, and the onion is brown.

Then add the celery and continue to saute. Then add the flour and continue to cook. Then add in the clam juice, the potatoes, the milk, and the bay leaf. Raise the heat up a bit and  simmer. Cook until the potatoes become tender.

Now you may throw the bay leaf away, and season to your taste. Then add the parsley, shucked clams, and the reserved clams still in the shell. Cook this all for another minute ( to warm up the clams)

Pour the chowder into bowls and add crackers. You may serve!

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*(fish stock)

2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 lb (1kg) heads, skin, bones, and flesh of fresh white – fleshed fish, such as halibut or sea bass
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, unpeeled and cut into 2- inch (5- cm) pieces
6 fresh flat – leaf (Italian) parsley stems
2 celery stalks with leaves cut into 2 – inch (5 – cm) pieces
1 bay leaf
10 white peppercorns
5 fresh dill sprigs
1 lemon, thinly sliced

In a big pot over low heat, warm the oil and then saute the fish parts. Do not allow it to brown. Add all of the other ingredients in the pot , with just enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Then bring it all to a boil over medium heat. Then reduce the heat to a low and simmer for about 45 minutes, use a spoon to skim off the foam at the top. Add/ adjust seasoning if necessary.

Strain the fish stock in a bowl through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Let it cool for an hour and then refrigerate ( covered) for at least thirty minutes. Remove the fat that has hardened at the surface and discard.

You may refrigerate this stock for up to three days if it will not be used right away. You may also freeze it for up to 3 months.

If desired, use shrimp, lobster shells, or crab instead of fish parts.