Seattle'S Best Clam Chowder - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 leek, chopped and rinsed
1/2 cup celery, chopped and rinsed
1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, diced
1 quart clam juice
8 (10 ounce) cans baby clams (with the juice)
2 ounces clam base
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces blond roux (by weight)
1 quart heavy cream
1/2 ounce dried thyme
1/2 lb bacon (peppered is nice)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation

Dice up bacon into small pieces and render in a large stock pot over med-low heat.
Once bacon has started to turn brown, add the onions and sprinkle with the 1 oz of salt.
Once the onions get soft and start to turn brown, add the leaks and celery, turn up the heat to med-high and saute for a couple of minutes until they get tender.
Add the potatoes, clam base, chopped clams, clam juice, and the thyme.
Bring to a low simmer, and maintain the simmer until the potatoes are cooked.
Add the heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil.
When it starts to boil, add the roux 2 oz at a time, letting the chowder come back to a boil before adding more roux. Make sure you are stirring the entire time here.
When all the roux is added or the chowder reaches the thickness you like, add the remaining salt and pepper to your taste.
Please taste it before you add any additional seasoning. Don't add it all just because it lists it in the ingredients. I put the numbers in because I had to and I don't remember just how much to add.
I recommend serving with some good thick sliced sourdough bread and a few drops of green Tabasco sauce.