1-First Step: Prep Your Ingredients Gather and measure all items to make cooking smooth. Dice the onion, celery, and potatoes, and mince the garlic. If you’re using fresh clams, clean them first; otherwise, canned ones work fine and speed things up.

2-Second Step: Cook the Aromatics Start by cooking the bacon in a pot over low heat until it’s crisp, then set it aside. Use the drippings to sauté the onion and celery until they soften, adding garlic and seasonings next for extra flavor.

3-Third Step: Build the Base Add flour to the pot and stir it in to thicken things up. Gradually pour in the broth and half and half, stirring as you go to avoid lumps. This creates the creamy foundation of your clam chowder.

4-Fourth Step: Simmer the Soup Bring everything to a gentle boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the potatoes and let them cook until tender, which takes another 20-25 minutes. Keep the heat low to maintain that smooth consistency.

5-Fifth Step: Add the Clams Stir in the chopped clams and heat through for a few minutes. This step ensures the clams stay tender and blend well with the other flavors.

6-Sixth Step: Finish and Serve Remove the bay leaf and adjust the thickness if needed. Garnish with parsley and pepper before serving. For a related seafood dish, try our shrimp boil skillet recipe for another easy option.