New England Clam Chowder

Alright. I'll admit it I got lazy and didn't make the dumplings, but I did make the chowder. I adapted it from a recipe I found in The Clam Lover's Cookbook" by William Flagg, put out by Gorton's.
Ingredients

1 pound of bacon (if you are like me, the entire pound won't go in the chowder, you'll eat some of it. The original called for 1/4 pound, but hell . . . with all that butter and half and half, what difference is 3/4 pound of additional bacon gonna make?)

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups of potatoes, in 1 inch cubes (I use red skinned potatoes and I don't peel them.)

2 cups of clam broth

fresh ground pepper (as much as you want or as little as you want - it's your chowder)

2 cups of half and half (the original recipe said heavy cream was best, but believe it or not, I grew up drinking skim milk. Cream kinda does me in.)

2 cups of clams, chopped

3 tablespoons of butter


What to do with those ingredients

Cook the bacon over medium heat, until crispy. Remove bacon and most of the bacon fat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.



Add potatoes, clam broth, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.



Add clams and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add milk, butter, and chopped bacon. Heat but do not allow to boil. Adjust seasonings.

This usually tastes better after it sits for a day.