Prep the Clams

1. Place the clams in a colander & gently rinse the clams in cold water, removing any visible ocean debris. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix in salt with cold water until the salt is dissolved. Gently add the clams to the salt water.
3. Set aside in a cool area for 2 hours or set in the fridge overnight to filter out ocean gunk.
4. Gently rinse the clams in a colander & toss out the dirty water. Set aside rinsed clams. Depending on how dirty the water was, you may want to let the clams filter for another 2 hours in salty, cold water again. When in doubt, do a second filter.
5. Keep the clams in cold, salty water until you’re ready to make the chowder.

Make the Clam Broth

1. In a large soup pot (or dutch oven), melt the butter before adding the vegetable broth, wine/beer, seasoning, & bay leaves to boil on medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer & gently add in the clams. Cover the pot with a lid & cook until clams begin to open; roughly 10-15 minutes. If any clams remain closed after 20 minutes of cooking, toss them out. They died before getting into your pot & eating them could make you sick.
3. Remove the pot from heat & set aside to cool.

Make the Chowder

1. Making a roux. In a large dutch oven (or a large soup pot), melt butter on low heat. Sift in starch/flour, stirring with a wooden or silicone spoon until smoothly incorporated with butter. It should look like a very thick paste; roughly 5-7 minutes. Whisk in milk until the paste is completely dissolved. Set the roux aside in a separate bowl.
2. Sweat onions, celery, & carrots with salt on medium-low heat in the dutch oven, stirring often for about 10-15 minutes. Be careful not to brown the onions.
3. When onions become translucent, add potatoes, pepper, paprika, garlic, parsley, & vinegar. Cover pot to cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until potatoes have softened. Stir occasionally.
4. When clams are cool, remove them one by one from their shell & place the meat in a separate bowl, discarding the shells. Combine the clam broth with the vegetables, stir, & cover. Bring to a boil on medium heat, reducing to a simmer. Allow potatoes to tenderize for roughly 15 minutes.
5. Stir the roux into the pot. The broth should thicken considerably & turn white & creamy.
6. Return to the clams; place a few sheets of parchment paper atop your cutting board & slice clams. You can also choose to leave them whole.
7. Once the potatoes are cooked to your liking & the broth is thickened to your liking, add the clams & cook for an additional 5 minutes on medium heat.
8. Ladle chowder into serving bowls & garnish with chopped chives, parsley, &/or lemon wedge.
9. When the broth thickens to your liking, stir in the clams, cook for an additional 5 minutes on medium & top with fresh chives.