CAST IRON CLAM CHOWDER

Cast Iron Clam Chowder image

We love clam chowder, especially in the cold winter months. I've modified a few different recipes to come up with this one. Whenever I buy nitrite-free bacon, I always save the grease in a glass jar in the refrigerator to use for recipes like these. Serve with sourdough bread!

Provided by ddmama

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Chowders Corn Chowder Recipes

Time 55m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

1 tablespoon bacon grease
2 potatoes, chopped
3 carrots, chopped, or more to taste
½ cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 (6.5 ounce) can clams, liquid drained and reserved and clams chopped
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup cornstarch
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup corn

Steps:

Heat bacon grease in a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic until onion is soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add flour, salt, garlic powder, liquid smoke flavoring, and black pepper; stir until vegetables are evenly coated.
Pour chicken broth and reserved clam juice over vegetables; cook at a simmer over low heat until potatoes and carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in cornstarch until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk and cream; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir butter mixture into vegetable-broth mixture; cook and stir over low heat until chowder is thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add corn and cook for 5 minutes. Mix chopped clams into chowder and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes more.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 458.8 calories, Carbohydrate 50.5 g, Cholesterol 94.3 mg, Fat 20.3 g, Fiber 5.2 g, Protein 19.6 g, SaturatedFat 11.5 g, Sodium 1239.2 mg, Sugar 8.5 g