Bacon Potato Clam Chowder

-1 In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, render the bacon.
-1 Once the bacon has rendered, remove the meat. (We won’t use this in our recipe, but if you want, you can let it drain on a paper towel and use as a garnish with the chowder is finished.) Leave the bacon fat in the pan.
-1 Add the onion, stirring until the onion is coated in the bacon fat. Cook until the onion softens, about 3-5 minutes.
-1 Add the butter, stirring until it melts.
-1 Measure in the flour to create the roux. Stir the onion, bacon fat, butter and flour together. Let the flour cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
-1 Lower the heat to the lowest setting. Add the clam juice and the chopped clams to the Dutch oven. Heat slowly as the soup thickens.
-1 Add the milk, the pre-cooked potatoes and the water. Season with salt and white pepper.
-1 Slowly heat the chowder over medium heat until the proper consistency. Please take caution that you to not bring to a boil because of the dairy products used in this recipe. The finished chowder should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If the soup gets too thick, add a little more milk to thin it out to proper consistency.
-1 Serve warm with oyster crackers, and enjoy!