Seafood Lover's Winter Soup

I Love Dining at our local Market Street Grill and their Clam Chowder is one of my favorites!

Last night, as the snow was lightly falling & the temperature dropping, there was nothing better than a pot of hot Homemade Soup & Toast...Absolutely Fabulous!!!

Market Street Clam Chowder (Serves 12)
Ingredients:

1 cup red potatoes, diced ½ inch (I diced about 5 good sized potatoes.)

1 cup celery, diced ½ inch (I diced 3/4 stalk of celery.)

1 cup onion, diced ½ inch (I diced 1 white onion.)

1 cup green pepper, diced ½ inch (I diced 1 large green bell pepper.)

1 cup leeks, diced ½ inch (I diced 2 leeks.)

¾ cup chopped clams (canned or fresh) (I used 3 cans of clams 5 0z each.)

¾ tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

1 ½ tablespoon salt

¾ tablespoon whole thyme (I used fresh thyme.)

6 bay leaves

1 teaspoon Tabasco

¾ cup dry sherry

2 cups water (I used about 5 c. water...Enough water to barely cover top of potatoes.)

¾ cup clam juice (drained from canned clams or purchased separately in can)

¾ cup butter, melted

1 cup flour

2 quarts half-and-half

Method:

Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. (Sounds odd, but it is the easiest to do a thickening for cream based soup.)

In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half-and-half. Simmer until
potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into chowder and stir
until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove
chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving
temperature, stirring occasionally.Serve immediately.

Toast

Method:

Slice any kind of bread about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick...I prefer Artisan, French or Baquette. Arrange on baking sheet, laying flat. Spoon good Olive Oil on the top of each slice. Bake @ 350 degrees until bread slices are lightly golden...approx. 5 - 10 minutes.