New England Clam Chowder is ultra hearty and rich with big chunks of clams, potatoes, and bacon! Takes just over 30 minutes to make and is AMAZING homemade.
Place the diced bacon in a large heavy pot. Turn to medium-high heat and cook until almost crisp. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour then add the stock and the juice from 2 cans of chopped clams, reserving the clams. Add in the cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are tender.
Add in the clams and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remember the bacon and clams are salty so you may not need an additional salt! Cook until the clams are just firm, another 2 minutes. Serve hot, garnish with parsley if desired.