Creamy New England Clam Chowder

• 6 slices bacon
• 2 small onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans minced clams, undrained
• 3 cups peeled, diced red potato
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Saute onion, celery, and garlic in reserved bacon drippings until tender.
2. Drain clams, reserving liquid; set clams aside. Add reserved clam liquid, potato, and bottled clam juice to vegetable mixture; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from pan, and let cool slightly.
3. Add butter to pan; add flour, and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add half-and-half; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add potato mixture to white sauce in pan. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in reserved clams, salt, thyme, pepper, and hot sauce; cook 1 minute. Ladle into individual serving bowls; top with crumbled bacon, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

bacon, onions, celery, garlic, clam juice, butter, flour, salt, thyme, ground pepper, hot sauce, parsley

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-new-england-clam-chowder (may not work)