Clam Chowder

Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 10 min | Total Time: 50 min

4 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Calivirgin Jalapeño Garlic Olive Oil (or Calivirgin Guilty Garlic Olive Oil for less kick)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
½ cup green onions, chopped
1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups half & half
1 cup clam juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried chives
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried cayenne pepper
1 cup frozen fire-roasted corn
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoon cold water slurry
2 canned clams and juice
Chives, chopped, for topping
Tabasco, for topping

Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate reserving residual bacon fat in the pot.
Add Calivirgin Jalapeño Garlic Olive Oil to the pot. Add celery, jalapeño, and green onions and saute for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add potatoes, broth, half & half, and clam juice to the pot and stir to combine. Season with thyme, parsley, chives, salt, pepper, and cayenne, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are nearly fork-tender, about 10-12 minutes. Then add the corn and stir to combine, simmering for an additional 5 minutes.
Stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl, whisking with a fork or small whisk until fully dissolved. Add the slurry to the pot, stirring to combine. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to thicken.
Add the reserved bacon and the canned clams and their juice to the pot and allow to simmer for about 2 minutes or until heated through.
Remove from heat. Serve warm with a sprinkle of chives and a splash of tabasco on top!

Jalapeño Garlic Olive Oil

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