Clam Chowder

IT'S AWESOME!

4 ounces salt pork, chopped (about 1 cup) (get the kind that looks like bacon, not the little bricks)
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 C. flour or corn starch*
4 cups clam broth, or bottled clam juice, or seafood stock
3 C. whole or 2% milk
1 cup diced celery
1/2 C. Chopped carrot
4-5 C. diced Yukon gold potatoes (1.5 lbs)
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
3 C. chopped clams (4 cans?)
2 C. half and half
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons butter

This makes a LOT of soup, so use your big pot. (3 quarts or 6-8 main course servings)

Cook the salt pork in your soup pot over medium heat until the fat is rendered (liquid) and the pork bits are getting crispy. 10 minutes or so.
Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until it begins to soften. About 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for a few seconds. Slowly add the clam broth.

The flour will make it thick, so be sure to really stir and mix it in now. Add milk, whisk until smooth. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and herb. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the clams and half and half. **if using corn starch instead mix the corn starch with the cold half and half when you add it.

Simmer your soup until the potatoes are tender. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste. The salt pork makes it very salty, so be sure to taste it first. Remove soup from heat, and let the chowder sit at room temperature for an hour, or refrigerate for up to 2 days. Before serving, add the butter and reheat gently.