Chef John's Manhattan Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• whole baby clams (2 cans)
• chopped clams (2 cans)
• bacon (4 strips)
• yellow onion (1 cup)
• garlic (3 cloves)
• kosher salt (0 )
• tomato paste (2 tablespoons)
• all-purpose flour (2 tablespoons)
• clam juice (1 cup)
• chicken broth (2 cups)
• carrots (2 medium)
• celery (2 ribs)
• Italian tomatoes (0.5 cup)
• black pepper (0 )
• cayenne pepper (3 pinches)
• Yukon Gold potatoes (3 cups)
• fresh tarragon (2 teaspoons)
• Italian parsley (2 tablespoons)

Instructions

1. Drain baby and chopped clams. Reserve liquid in the refrigerator until needed and set clams aside.
2. Place bacon in a soup pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir until well-browned and almost crispy, 7 to 10 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook and stir until onions start to soften and turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Don't worry if some of the tomato paste sticks to the bottom of the pot; we want that to happen. Sprinkle in flour; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Dump in reserved clam juice plus bottled clam juice and chicken broth. Stir with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze any caramelization.
5. Add carrots, celery, clams, diced tomatoes, pepper, and cayenne; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, skimming off some bacon fat if desired.
6. Add diced potatoes and cook until tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt, if needed. Stir in fresh tarragon and parsley just before serving.

Nutrition

(*Nutrition data is approximate and may vary depending on the brand and type of ingredients used.)

• kcal: 375
• fat: 6 g
• sats: 1 g
• carbs: 32 g
• fibre: 3 g
• protein: 46 g
• salt: 0 g