Market Street Clam Chowder

This is a repost of one of my favorite soups- a chowder really- that you can get at a favorite Salt Lake restaurant called Market Street Grill.  I make mine a titch thicker but you can do thick or thin, whatever you want.  (It's your chowder after all!)

Market Street Clam Chowder

3/4 c. butter, melted

1 cup flour

1 cup diced potatoes (sometimes I double the potatoes)

1 cup diced celery (sometimes I double the celery)

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced green pepper

1 c. diced leek

3/4 c. chopped clams

3/4 T. freshly ground pepper (ha!)

1 ½ T. salt

3/4 tsp. thyme

6 bay leaves (I have a bay tree out in the greenhouse. Borrow as much as you like!)

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

3/4 c. cooking sherry or bouillon

2 c. water

3/4 c. clam juice

2 qt. half-and-half

Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.  (I put a picture of this since it is different than making a flour/butter rue.  It actually turns out crumbly.)

 In large saucepan, combine potatoes, celery, onion, peppers, leeks, clams, ground pepper, salt, bay leaves, Tabasco, sherry, water and clam juice. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Add butter and flour mixture to chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. Serves 12