Rachael'S Clam Chowder - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 slices thick-sliced bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery & leaves, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 pint half & half light cream
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, shredded
2 (10 ounce) cans baby clams, with their juice

Preparation

In a medium pot over medium high heat, melt butter. Add bacon and onions, celery and thyme sprigs. Season with salt, pepper, Old Bay and hot sauce and cook 5 minutes. Add flour and cook a minute more.
Add half-and-half and stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in potatoes and clams. Bring soup back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked and soup has thickened to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove thyme sprigs before serving. The leaves will have fallen off into the soup.