Wine-Steamed Clam Chowder with Crispy Bacon

Method

1. Scrub the clams and soak them for 20 min in cold water salted like the sea so they release their sand. Meanwhile cut the potatoes into 1.5 cm cubes and the celery into 5 mm dice; halve the leek lengthways, rinse out any grit and slice it 5 mm thick. Cut the bacon into 1 cm batons and thinly slice the shallots and garlic. Lift the clams out by hand and discard any that are cracked, or open and won't close.

2. Melt some of the butter in a wide 22 cm pot on medium heat and soften the shallots, garlic and half the thyme for 1 min. Add the wine and water, raise to high heat, bring to a boil, then add the clams and cover. Pull out each clam as soon as it opens and discard any still shut after 5 min. Strain the broth through a sieve lined with a paper towel. Pick out the meat, chop it into 1 cm pieces and moisten it with a spoonful of broth so it doesn't dry out.

   Add in this stepButter 7.5 gShallots 1Garlic cloves 2Fresh thyme sprigs 1½Dry white wine 100 mlWater 150 mlFresh clams in the shell (cherrystone, littleneck or Manila) 900 g

   medium heat→high heat

3. Rinse the pot, put the bacon into the cold pot, set it on medium-low heat and render slowly for 8 min until golden and crisp. Lift half of the crisp bacon onto a paper towel for the garnish and leave the fat in the pot.

   Add in this stepThick-cut slab bacon 80 g

   medium-low heat

4. Add the rest of the butter, the leek and celery and sweat on medium-low heat for 7 min, without letting them colour, until soft and sweet.

   Add in this stepButter 18 gLeek (white and light green parts) 100 gCelery 60 g

   medium-low heat

5. Add the potatoes, the strained clam broth, the remaining thyme and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil on high heat, then lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 13 min, until a knife slides easily into the potatoes.

   Add in this stepWaxy potatoes 350 gFresh thyme sprigs 1½Bay leaves 1

   high heat→medium-low heat

6. Remove the herbs. Scoop out about a quarter of the potatoes with a little liquid, blend until smooth with a stick blender (or mash well) and stir back in; this thickens the chowder silkily without flour. Add the milk and cream and warm on low heat for 5 min until steaming, without boiling.

   Add in this stepWhole milk 240 mlHeavy cream 160 ml

   low heat

7. Add the clam meat and warm it through on low heat for just 1 min. Add a few drops of lemon juice and season with salt and white pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved crisp bacon and the chives.

   Add in this stepLemon ¼Salt to tasteWhite pepper to tasteChives, finely snipped 2 tbsp

   low heat