Smoky New England Clam Chowder

• Add butter to soup pot and turn heat to medium-low. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from fat, and set aside on paper towel.
• Add the leeks, shallots, and garlic to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes and wine, and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and the potatoes have just started to soften, approximately 10 minutes. Add clam broth, thyme, and bay leaves.
• Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes depending on how big your cubes are. Test potatoes to desired tenderness.
• Dice up your cooked bacon. Slice your Fox smoked scallops.
• When potatoes are tender, stir in chopped clams and reserved bacon. Add cream and black pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer, and remove from heat. (Do not let chowder come to a full boil.) Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.
• The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it to a bare simmer before serving. Serve with oyster crackers or a crusty bread.

Roux

• If you decide you want the chowder thicker than it is after the cream, you can add a roux to the pot. Simply melt butter in a measuring cup and slowly add flour and whisk until smooth. Add to simmering pot.