Units Scale

For the clam stock:
8 pounds large cherrystone clams
4 cups bottled water
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup Riesling or Gewurtztraminer wine
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, with celery leaves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped in 1/2 and with 2 cloves stuck in each half
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
Bottled clam juice – I prefer Bar Harbor brand
For the chowder:
3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch cubes or an equivalent amount of diced salt pork (preferred)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium-size onions, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 ribs celery, de-stringed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 bay leaves
2 pounds Yukon Gold or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (optional)
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or to taste

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Scrub the clams and rinse them clean.
Add water, stock, wine, vegetables, fennel seeds and peppercorns to a large stockpot fitted with a steamer basket or colander, and bring to a boil.
Add half the clams to the basket and cover. Steam until the clams open, 5 to 10 minutes. (Discard any clams that don’t open.)
Repeat with the second batch of clams. Reserve 6 cups of the broth (add bottled clam broth if necessary to make 6 cups), straining out vegetables and peppercorns and discarding them. Set reserved broth aside.
Cool the clams; remove the meat from the shells and dice it into ½-inch pieces. Keep them covered and refrigerated until ready to use.
Put the bacon in a 5- to 7-quart pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, leaving the bacon in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the butter, onions, celery, and bay leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the potatoes and reserved clam broth to the pot. Continue cooking over medium heat until the chowder begins to simmer. If it begins to boil, reduce the heat slightly. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Just before serving, remove the pot from the heat, stir in the clams and optional herbs, discard the bay leaves, and season to taste with Worcestershire, salt and pepper.
Serve hot.