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Emeril’s Chowder of Love

Emeril is a great chef who obviously knows what he’s doing, and this dish proves it.  I’ve made this many times, and I’ve never felt the need to adjust it in any way. It’s just that good.
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Course: Stove Top
Cuisine: American Seafood
Keyword: chowder, clams

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb bacon, medium dice
  • 1 cup chopped leeks (about 1 pound)
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onions
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots, peeled
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 lb white potatoes, peeled and medium diced
  • 4 cup clam juice
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 lb littleneck clams, shucked, chopped
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Instructions

Make a Soup

  • Chop the Leeks first and then place them in a bowl to soak. Don't skip this step. Leeks are dirty when you get them from the store and the dirt has settled in between the stalks. Soak and Drain, repeat, repeat. We do this by placing the chopped leeks in a colander, then placing the colander in a larger bowl and filling it with water. This makes it easier to drain and refill. When you pull the colander out of the bowl you can see whether the water is clean. When it is, you're done.
  • Chop the bacon and add it to a COLD heavy sauce pan.
    Render the bacon over medium-high heat until nicely done and then remove from the fat and set aside.
  • Stir in the leeks, onions, celery, and carrots and saute for about 2 minutes or until the vegetables start to wilt.
  • Stir in the bacon and season with Salt and Pepper.
  • Stir in the Bay Leaves and Thyme.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for a few minutes, until the floury smell goes away.
  • Stir in the potatoes.
  • Add the clam juice.
  • Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. At this point, you can refrigerate the chowder and finish it later if you're prepping the meal for a later date.

Make A Chowder Happen

  • Add the cream and bring back up to a simmer. If you're doing this in 2 stages and have refrigerated the "soup" portion of the recipe, bring that up to a boil before adding the cream.
  • Add the clams and continue to simmer for a few more minutes to get them nice and hot.
  • Season to taste with Salt and Pepper, then ladle into bowls and add the parsley.  Yum!