Christmas Clam Chili Chowder

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup cooked andouille sausages or 1 cup hot italian sausage
• 3 slices bacon
• 2 cups rice, cooked
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 12 fluid ounces red wine vinegar
• 4 fresh tomatoes, skinned, seeded & diced
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 (10 ounce) can rotel
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh red chili peppers
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 cup creole gumbo file seasoning
• 2 tablespoons chili seasoning mix
• 2 cans clams in broth
• 4 ounces canned okra (optional)
• 2 cups fresh thyme leaves (garnish)
• fresh cracked black pepper

Recipe

• 1 cook the bacon and remove from pan, reserving the drippings.
• 2 saute the onions and fresh thyme on a medium heat in the bacon drippings, till the onions are translucent, but watch the heat. fresh thyme burns easily. then, add 1/3 cup of the chicken stock and simmer the onion/thyme mixture, covered, to further bring out the flavor, until all the liquid cooks off.
• 3 using a large, heavy saucepan, or stockpot over medium heat, blend the olive oil and flour to create a sauce, but turn down the heat, flour burns easily. stir constantly until browned and bubbly. mix in garlic, and cook about 1 minute.
• 4 gradually stir in the chicken broth and red wine vinegar into the sauce mixture. bring to a gentle boil to allow the vinegar to cook down but still stirring constantly.
• 5 now add in the fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, okra, rotel, red chile peppers, cooked rice, cajun seasoning, and the onion/thyme mixture to the stockpot and simmer everything for at least 40 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally.
• 6 crumbled bacon, cooked andoulle sausage and clams are the last ingredients to be added, and then simmered for 20 minutes more.
• 7 once the soup is ladled into bowls, sprinkle black pepper, and place some fresh thyme leaves on top as a garnish.