Manhattan Clam Chowder

Being a New Yorker, I love a good Manhattan Clam Chowder. 

Ingredients: 

6 slices of bacon chopped

1 piece of salt pork, whole

1 1/2 onion, diced

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons of Sea Salt

Pepper to taste

1 1/4 cups Clamato Juice (you can buy this in the store)

2 cups Spicy V8 Juice

2 tablespoons of real butter, imitation won't do for this recipe

2 can clams or 8 Quahogs (large clams)

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 bottle clam juice

1 cup water

Directions: 

In a large stock pot over medium to high heat cook your bacon and salt pork until almost crispy, then remove the salt pork. Throw in your onions and sautee in the bacon juices and butter for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in your water, stirring constantly to get those pieces of cooked bacon bits and juices off the bottom of the pan. Add your potatoes, carrots and celery along with the Clamato and Spicy V8 Juice; bring to a boil for about 15 - 18 minutes until potatoes can be cut with a fork.

Once the potatoes and celery is cook, turn the heat down and begin adding the diced tomatoes. Drain your clams, but retain the juice and add the juice plus bottle clam juice to the pot, along with all other ingredients except the clams. Cook for about 7 minutes to allow the clam juice to be absorbed by the potatoes. Boil this hard for an addition 10 minutes, then turn down to low heat and add your clams allowing them to heat with the other flavors in the pot and serve with oyster crackers or your favorite crackers. Enjoy.