This is more soup than a traditional chowder – no dairy is involved, but it’s thick like a chowder. There are lots of clams (Crosby’s Crabs), clam broth, and an obscene amount of bacon (Hayfield Farms). Now, there are the required onions, celery, and spices, and I didn’t forget the wine. I hope you like it.

6 strips bacon, diced (Hayfield Farms)
4 cups clam juice
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
8 ounces dry white wine
2 bay leaves
2 steamed crab bodies
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups diced potatoes
2 8- ounce cans chopped clams
3 dozen top neck clams, washed (Crosby’s Crabs)
1 stick butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white wine

I know a soup kettle on medium add diced bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon to a paper towel. Drain half of bacon fat.

Add onions and celery; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add drywhite wine and scrape bottom of kettle.

Add clam juice. Add crab bodies. Cook at a simmer.

Add bay leaves and pepper.

Cook for 10 minutes.

Add potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet add butter and white wine and bring to a boil.

Add clams to skillet; cook until clams open and discard any clams don’t open. Remove all the rest of clams from pan and remove from shell.

Remove bay leaves and crab bodies from chowder.

Add freshly cooked clams and canned clams to kettle. Cook for 5 minutes.

Serve.