Clam Chowder

Photo: Alejandro Duarte

Ingredients

1 quart clams

1 tablespoon salt

4 cups potatoes cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 inch cube fat salt pork

4 cups scalded milk

1 sliced onion

8 common crackers

Preparation

Clean and pick over clams, using one cup cold water; drain, reserve liquor, heat to boiling-point, and strain. Chop finely hard part of clams; cut pork in small pieces and try out; add onion, fry five minutes, and strain into a stewpan.

Parboil potatoes five minutes in boiling water to cover; drain, and put a layer in bottom of stewpan, add chopped clams, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dredge generously with flour; add remaining potatoes, again sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and add two and one-half cups boiling water. Cook ten minutes, add milk, soft part of clams, and butter; boil three minutes, and add crackers split and soaked in enough cold milk to moisten.

Reheat clam water to boiling-point, and thicken with one tablespoon butter and flour cooked together. Add to chowder just before serving.