Rhode Island Clam Chowder

• 1/4 pound salt pork, cubed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 32 fluid ounces clam juice
• 3 cups 1/2-inch cubed potatoes
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 24 clams in shell, scrubbed
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1. Cook and stir salt pork in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy kettle over medium-low heat until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Add onion, leeks, and garlic to salt pork; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix clam juice, potatoes, boiling water, green bell pepper, carrot, and celery into salt pork mixture; cover Dutch oven and bring liquid to a boil.
3. Separate necks from soft parts of each clam. Coarsely chop necks and add to salt pork-vegetable mixture, reserving soft parts. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer salt pork-vegetable mixture until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir soft parts of clams, tomatoes, ketchup, parsley, salt, thyme leaves, black pepper, and bay leaf into salt pork-vegetable mixture; bring soup to a simmer.
5. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; stir in flour until smooth. Spoon about 1 tablespoon liquid from soup into butter-flour mixture and stir until smooth; add to soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

salt pork, onion, leeks, clove garlic, clam juice, potatoes, boiling water, green bell pepper, carrot, celery, shell, tomatoes, ketchup, parsley, salt, thyme, ground black pepper, bay leaf, butter, flour

Taken from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/241843/rhode-island-clam-chowder/ (may not work)