New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound salt pork or bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 cup water or clam juice
• 2 1/2 pounds live cherrystone or littleneck clams
• 1 quart whole milk
• 1 1/2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Oyster crackers, for serving

Directions

1. Put the salt pork in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven with 1/4 cup water. Set it over medium heat and cook, stirring now and then, until the liquid is gone and the pork is browned and crisp in places, about 8 minutes. Stir in the butter, onion, and celery, then cook a little longer, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened without taking on color, about 4 minutes. Pour in the clam juice or water and stir everything together.
2. Add the clams or quohogs and turn the heat to high. Cover the pot and cook, lifting the lid only to stir from time to time, until the clams start opening, about 3 minutes. As each clam opens, use tongs to move it to a large bowl, trying to leave as much liquid behind in the pot as you can and keeping the pot covered whenever possible. After 8 minutes, throw away any clams that still have not started to open.
3. Stir the milk, potatoes, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper into the pot. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then lower the heat to the gentlest simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft and beginning to fall apart, about 15 minutes.
4. While the potatoes cook, take the clam meat out of the shells and chop it roughly. Discard the shells. Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, then add the chopped clams along with as much of their juice as you can. Once they have drained, move the chopped clams into another bowl. Reserve both bowls.
5. When the potatoes are tender, strain everything from the pot through the fine mesh strainer into the bowl holding the clam juice, tapping the strainer with the back of a knife or a honing steel to help the liquid through. Put the strained solids into the bowl with the chopped clams. At this point, the bowl underneath should hold a pale, slightly separated broth, while the other bowl holds the clams, potatoes, salt pork, and aromatics.
6. Pour the liquid into a blender and blend on high speed until it is smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Return both the blended liquid and the solids to the Dutch oven. Stir in the heavy cream, then warm the chowder until it is simmering. Season generously with salt and pepper, and serve right away with oyster crackers.