"Clamchop" as my girlees used to call Clam Chowder Soup

I made this soup last night and invited some friends over.. it ended up being a few girlfriends of mine and we ate soup and had a drink and laughed and talked into the nite.  That is exactly what I like to happen when I cook for the people I love in my life...good food, good conversation, and good times.. thanks Pauline, Stephanie and Denise!

Clam Chowder soup has been a favorite of mine since I was a child, my Mother never made it but she loved it too. I perfected my recipe by trial and error and by reading the ingredients on a can of soup. Basically I surmised that it was a glorified potato soup, but as I have cooked it more often I realize it is much more. I love clam chowder or clam chop soup as my daughters use to call it when they were little. It is an ideal comfort food served in a soup mug or in a bread bowl...these I made following a bread recipe http://noturtypicalgmacooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/homemade-bread-so-easy-kid-could-make.html  that is posted on my blog, using the water method, since it yeilds a much more crusty bread. So I hope you enjoy it and if you do not want to make a vat, this serves about 16-20 people simply cut everything in half. Also a note about the cornstarch I did add about 1/2 cup of dry cornstarch mixed with enough water to dilute it... and added it to the final soup. This thickened it perfectly, add more or less to your desired consistency. When you add water to cornstarch it is hard to stir at first but with a few stirs it becomes thinned out and should be like a heavy cream in consistency. Make sure to always dilute with cold liquid, and stir as you add the cornstarch until the desired consistency is acheived.

Ingredients

4 cans of whole baby clams or minced clams with juice

3-4 pounds of potatoes diced into 1 inch cubes

2c. chopped onin

2c. chopped celery

1 stick or 1/2 c. butter

1/2 pint of half and half

1c. milk

1/4 plus 1/2 c. corn starch

1 pound of bacon fried and crumbled

enough water two knuckles high over potatoes

sea salt and white or black pepper to taste

more fried and crumbled bacon

Video Recipe