Clam Chowder with Fresh Clams

Gather the ingredients.

Finely chop bacon. Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat, add butter, and once butter is melted, add bacon. Cook, stirring now and again until bacon renders its fat. Adjust heat so butter doesn't brown.

Meanwhile, finely chop celery and onion. Add to bacon and season with salt. Cook, stirring once in a while, until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes.

Peel and chop potatoes. Once vegetables are soft, sprinkle with flour. Cook, stirring until flour smells a bit like pie crust—that will let you know that it is cooked and also help prevent chowder from having a raw flour flavor—about 2 minutes.

Add potatoes, broth, and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Either shuck raw clams or heat a large pot over high heat. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to pot. It should sizzle immediately. Add clams, cover, and cook until all clams are open—3 to 5 minutes.

Lift clams out of pot. Use a fork or small tongs to pull clams out of their shells. Discard shells. Strain clam cooking liquid through several layers of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel to make sure any grit is left behind. Add strained cooking liquid to chowder.

Once potatoes are tender, add clams and simmer until clams are cooked through, about 5 minutes for raw shucked clams and just 1 to 2 minutes for the steamed-opened clams.

Taste chowder and add more salt to taste. Serve hot, topped with pepper, if you like.