Instructions: Fry bacon in a large saucepan. When its crisp, take out the bacon. Put the onion and celery into the bacon crease and saute until its translucent. Stir in the flour, then pour in the fish stock and stir until its thickened.

Dump in the potatoes and seafood seasoning, bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the milk, cream, clams, and clam liquid, then take it off the fire until youre ready to serve it.

When its time to eat, heat through, ladle into big bowls, and crumble the bacon on top.

Comments: Its definitely soup as a meal and decidedly New England, USA. Serve hot to 4 people.

SoupTale: "A New England clam chowder, made as it should be, is a dish to preach about, to chant praises and sing hymns and burn incense before. To fight for. The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought for - or on - clam chowder; part of it at least, I am sure it was. It is as American as the Stars and Stripes, as patriotic as the national Anthem. It is Yankee Doodle in a kettle."-Joseph C. Lincoln Soup Tale: "Queequeg, said I, "do you think that we can make out a supper for us both on one clam? However, a warm savory steam from the kitchen served to belie the apparently cheerless prospect before us. But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh sweet friends! hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuit, and salted pork cut up into little flakes; the whole poached with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt."-Herman Melville, Moby Dick

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