LeeRoy/Nancy’s Chunky Clam / Seafood Chowder Recipe


        In  a 10 quart pot  (with not much to spare)
6  Cups              Potatoes,  cube  ½” bite size, boil to 3/4s done, save water
2  Cups              2% milk, add more-less milk to suit consistency
8  Strips            Thick cut bacon, (3/4#) fry almost crisp & cut small, save grease - add later
1  TBSP             Mrs. Dash
2 ½ Cups          Ground Clams (about 10 – 15 medium Razor clams) (add for last 3 min of boil time)
8 oz                 Clam Juice (1 bottle)
2 TBSP             Lemon Juice
½ tsp               Salt
1 TBSP             Garlic Salt
2 tsp                Old Bay Seasoning
1 ½ TBSP         Chopped  (Dried) Onions OR chopped Micro Waved 1 medium/large raw one
6 stalks            Celery, chopped fine & Micro Waved until tender (about 4-5 min)
2                     Bay Leaves, (chopped)
1 tsp                Dill Weed or Seed
1 tsp                Celery Seed
½ tsp               Pepper (course)
Add milk last to suit, or if too thin add Rue

3/4 Cup           Flower Rue  (substitute instant potatoes for thickener to suit) but be careful as a little 
                           goes a long way as it thickens after mixing        

Optional         (2)  4oz cans Shrimp cocktail. or if whole, Medium cut ¼” lengths)
1 ½ - 2 Cups   Crab meat
1 red onion,   chopped small, Micro Waved until tender
Handful of frozen vegetables (corn-peas-beans-carrots)  Micro Wave 4 min +

Bring chowder to boil & then turn down heat, let simmer for 10-15 min.  If making in crock pot,  it will take a few hours to get it hot enough to cook clams.
Add fresh crab meat & or thawed canned shrimp just before simmer ends.

Prep & Cook time about 1 hour 20 min.
Makes about 14 cups,  (9) med-large (1 ½ cup) servings of thick chowder

If you intend to freeze, using 1 ½ - 2 cups chowder in quart Zip Lock plastic bags (& frozen flat) it will take another 3-4 minutes in the Micro Wave for quick meal