Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 pound russet potatoes, cut in quarters
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
8 ounces bottled clam juice
2 cans (10 ounces each) chopped clams
1 cup whole milk
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook the bacon in a large soup pot until crispy. Add leeks, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables, then add the potatoes, sherry, vinegar, thyme and clam juice. Simmer covered until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the clams and their juice and simmer until heated through, about 2 more minutes, then add the milk and heat gently without boiling. Season with black pepper and serve.
Serves four.
The Chopping Block, Chicago