Firemen Know Their Chowda

It's been cold again and I decided it would be a good soup day. I have my California Firehouse Cookbook and decided to try the clam chowder.

Fire Station 21 Pacific Beach Clam Chowder (from The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund California Firehouse Cookbook)

4 slices bacon
1/2 C finely chopped onion
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 TBSP flour
1 C bottled clam juice
1 C half and half
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
2 6-ounce cans minced clams (more if you have them), with liquid

1. In a large sauce pot, cook the bacon until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot, keeping the rendered bacon fat in the pot and drain on paper towels. Dice cooked bacon and set aside. In the same pot, saute the chopped onion and potatoes for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the onions and potatoes with flour and stir until the flour is mixed in.

2. Add the clam juice to the pot, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring from time to time, until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Add half and half and season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream and season again to taste. Add clams with juice and diced bacon, simmer for about 10 minutes (do not allow to boil), season to taste and serve with heavy, crusty bread.

This was really outstanding. It got "the symbol thumbs-up" from my boy. A few notes:
-I used center cut bacon and it did not really generate any fat. So I added a little butter to the pan so the onions and potatoes wouldn't stick.
-I suspect my "four medium potatoes" were larger than their "four medium potatoes" because the clam juice did not cover the potatoes. I added chicken broth until the potatoes were submerged.
-I used fat free half and half.
The chowder was creamy without being too thick. I imagine you could skip the bacon but it added a lovely flavor. The balance of flavors was just right. If I had been more organized I would have prepared a side salad as well as the bread we had. Perfect for a cozy dinner.