Amazingly Good Gluten-Free Chowder

Ingredients

1/2 pound thick sliced bacon
1 medium onion, diced
2 large baking potatoes, or the equivalent amount of your favorite variety, (2 to 3 cups of diced potatoes)
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 4 tablespoons white rice flour (enough to mix into melted butter to make a roux, I have found that at times more than 2 tablespoons is required)
2 to 3 cups milk, depending on how thick you want your soup
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 pound chopped clams (depending on your preference)

Instructions

Chop the bacon and cook it in a skillet until crispy. Remove bacon from pan, reserving the bacon fat, set aside. Saute the chopped onion in about a tablespoon of reserved bacon fat. Set aside. Cut potatoes into quarters, leaving skins on. Boil until fork tender. Once cooled enough to handle, the skins should peel off quite easily. Dice potatoes, mashing half of them to be added to the soup along with the diced potatoes. Once you are ready to assemble the soup, take a large soup pot and add the bacon, onion and diced and mashed potatoes. Add the heavy cream. Heat thoroughly while stirring constantly over medium to medium low heat. Make a roux by melting the butter in a small sauce pan, add the flour and mix to combine. Allow the flour and butter to cook a minute or two, then add about a cup of the milk and stir until it thickens. Once it starts to thicken, remove from heat and add to your soup pot. Stir until heated through again and add enough milk to give your chowder the consistency you desire. Make sure you are stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Once the chowder is as thick or thin as you want it and is heated through, add your diced clams (or whatever you desire, corn, ham or fish) and cook until your clams are no longer translucent. This happens in just a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Chopped parsley can also be added as a garnish.

**This is an easy recipe to double. It comes out wonderfully.