Bacon Clam Chowder #FishFridayFoodies

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies?  We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month.  To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517@gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

This month Stacy from Food, Lust, People, Love got super specific with us and invited us to make a dish that included Bivalves & Gastropods! She gave us the prompt: "Bivalves: For example, clams (littlenecks, cherrystones, steamers, Atlantic and Pacific razors, quahogs, Manila, Geoduck etc.) oysters, cockles, mussels, and scallops. Gastropods: For example, sea snails, limpets, winkles, whelks, abalone and conch."

See all of our delightfully delicious recipes that we're sharing with you today!

• Bacon Clam Chowder from Making Miracles
• East Indian Clams/Shimpies Curry from Sneha's Recipe
• Lemon Garlic Butter Baked Scallops and Shrimp from Food Lust People Love
• Mussels with Leeks and Chilies from Karen's Kitchen Stories

This soup is really wonderful. It's so perfectly rich and creamy, with lots of tender bites of vegetables, potatoes, clam, and bacon. It works together beautifully. The bacon definitely makes this one a little extra special and delicious! 

This soup is perfect with a handful of crackers to serve alongside, or crushed up and sprinkled over the top.

Bacon Clam Chowder

Ingredients
8 slices bacon, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2-3 medium potatoes, cleaned and diced into bite sized pieces
2 cups chicken / vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
4 TBS flour
3 cups milk
1 cup cream
2 cans (6 1/2 oz) minced clams, drained
dash pepper, more to taste

Directions

1. In a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat, cook the diced bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave 2 TBS of bacon fat in the pan, and remove the rest for another use or discard.
2. Saute the celery and potato pieces in the bacon grease for 3-5 minutes, and then add the broth, dill weed, celery seed, and salt. Stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer and simmer about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, and flour until smooth and well combined. Whisk mixture into the soup, and whisk to combine, bring to a simmer until thickened.
4. Stir in the bacon, cream, and clams. Stir. Taste soup and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Nueske's