This clam chowder, in the words of a former roommate of mine, is "slap your momma good"! I got the recipe from my mother, who got it from Aunt Toni, who apparently passed it around since I found a recipe card in her handwriting in Grandma's recipe box. We used to make this at the beach house during the summer, which could be a challenge since neither Grandpa nor the Kelleys like onions and Janice didn't like celery.
This is one of my favorite fall/winter meals to make. A big bowl of chowder and a chunk of crusty, buttered French bread and you're set for a hot meal on a cold evening.
Toni's Clam Chowder
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups diced potato
2 cans minced clams
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 quart half and half (or milk for thinner chowder)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups finely cubed ham (or crumbled bacon)
Add onions, celery, and juice from the cans of clams to a pan. Saute until vegetables are tender and set aside. In a large pot, melt the butter and then add the flour. Cook two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the half and half and potatoes, cooking until the potatoes are tender and the chowder is smooth and thick. Add the reserved vegetables with juice, the clams, the ham or bacon, and the salt, pepper, and sugar. Heat through and serve steaming hot.
