Pacific Seafood'S Clam Chowder - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1 slice bacon, diced
1/2 cup white part leek, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
3 1/4 cups canned clam juice
1 1/2 cups canned clams
1 quart diced potato
1/4 cup white wine
2 1/2 quarts light cream (half and half)
salt and pepper, to taste
flour
butter

Preparation

Melt the butter in a large, heavy casserole. Add the bacon and saute until crisp. Add the leek, onion and celery and saute until soft and barely golden.
Stir in the seasonings, clam juice, clams, potatoes and white wine. Cook gently until the potatoes are tender.
Add the light cream, salt and pepper. Thicken with equal parts flour and butter that have been mixed together.
[Joan's note: Marranate tells me the chefs create a roux with the butter and flour. Without testing this recipe, I'm not sure how much roux you'll need, so you may as well make a lot. (It keeps well in the freezer, and you can use it to thicken other sauces and soups.).
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, melt 1 stick of butter. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over the butter while whisking the mixture. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture is smooth and a pale golden color.
Add 3/4 of the roux to the soup and continue to cook until the soup thickens. Add the remaining roux if you need it, cooking the soup a bit after the final addition.