Rhode Island Red Chowder Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound thick-sliced bacon or salt pork chopped
• 2 onions chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups clam broth or a mixture of juice
• from clams and bottled juice
• 1 pound baking potatoes peeled, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 large bay leaf broken in half
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups diced seeded fresh plum tomatoes
• 2 cups coarsely-chopped hard-shell clams see * Note
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 common crackers or saltines crumbled