Ingredients

• 6 sourdough rolls or crusty rolls (roughly12cm/4½in diameter)
• tops removed
• dough scooped out and discarded
• 1kg/2lb 4oz fresh clams
• scrubbed
• 225g/8oz waxy potatoes
• peeled and diced into 1.5cm/â…�in cubes
• 40g/1½oz unsalted butter
• 75g/2¾oz smoked streaky bacon
• finely chopped
• 1 small onion or banana shallot
• finely chopped
• 1 leek
• cleaned
• halved lengthways and finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery
• roughly chopped
• 30g/1oz plain flour
• 500ml/18fl oz whole milk
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 200g/7oz cod fillet (or other white fish)
• skin removed
• cut into 2cm/¾in pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 10 turns black peppermill
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• small handful flat-leaf parsley or chives
• roughly chopped
• to serve

Directions

• Bring 250ml/9fl oz water to the boil in a large
• shallow pan. Add the clams
• place a lid on and allow steam for 3 –4 minutes until they open. Set a colander over a large bowl and drain the clams
• reserving the cooking liquor. When the clams are cool enough to handle
• remove the meat from the shells and set aside.
• Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 5–10 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the bacon
• onion or shallot
• leek and celery until soft. Stir in the plain flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the clam cooking liquor and stir until thickened. Add the milk
• cream
• bay leaf
• potatoes and cod. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes until the cod is cooked. Add the clam meat and season with the salt
• pepper and nutmeg.
• Spoon the chowder into the hollowed-out bread rolls and garnish with chopped parsley or chives.