christine's clam chowder |
Christine is my dear foodie-friend. Everything she makes is fabulous, especially her family. We have shared many meals together, and this is from our annual Christmas potluck, going strong at 20+ years now.
That year, we were a little short on dishes, so we resorted to serving this in styrofoam cups. Tastes even better in a proper bowl.
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, finely diced 2 potatoes, finely diced 2 6.5 oz cans minced clams, keep the liquid 1 cup water | 3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour 1 quart half-and-half 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar |
Pour the liquid from the clams into a large pot or Dutch oven with diced vegetables. Add water and simmer over medium heat until barely tender.
In the meantime, in a separate pot, melt butter, add flour, stirring constantly. Whisk in half-and-half a little at a time, until smooth and thick. Add to vegetables. Add clams, salt and pepper and vinegar at the end. The dash of vinegar is what finishes the chowder. Heat thoroughly.