Clam chowder recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1.3 kg clams
• 375 ml filtered water
• 4 rashers sugar-free bacon
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 900 g celeriac, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 250 ml Creamy Coconut Milk
• 3 spring onions, sliced thinly, for garnish

1. Add the salt to a bowl of cool water and stir to dissolve. Add the clams and allow them to soak for 20 minutes.
2. Clean the clam shells thoroughly with a wire brush or a stiff vegetable brush, discarding any that are broken.
3. Bring the filtered water to a boil in a large pot. Add the clams, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. After about 4 minutes the clams should start opening; once they do, pull them out one-by-one. Continue doing this until all the clams have cooked, about another 4 minutes. If there are any that haven’t opened at this point, throw them away. Set the clams aside to cool, then strain the clam broth, reserving 375 ml for the soup.
4. In a heavy-bottomed pot, cook the bacon rashers until they are crispy, turning as needed. Remove them from the pot, leaving the fat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add the carrots, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 5 more minutes. Add the reserved clam broth and the celeriac, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the celeriac is soft.
5. Remove the clams from their shells and chop the bacon into bits. Set aside.
6. When the celeriac has finished cooking, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and transfer half of the mixture to a blender. Blend until very smooth, then add the purée back to the pot.
7. Stir in the coconut milk, clams and bacon bits. Garnish with chopped spring onions.