Down East Calm Chowder

5 Medium White Potatoes, diced and parboiled
1 Medium Spanish Onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
12 Chowder Clams chopped
4 crushed black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
3 pints water
4 strips bacon chopped, sautéed until crisp


Cook potatoes and drain (in other words, if you don't know what parboiled means, you have no business in the kitchen). Meanwhile, steam the clams in water until open. Save the juice and allow the clams to cool before chopping them. Sauté bacon slowly on med. high until crisp; drain on a paper towel and reserve about 2 tbs. drippings. Sauté the chopped onions and celery in the bacon drippings until soft. Add the herbs, spices, reserved clam juice, chopped clams and cooked potatoes to the onions and celery and cook until the potatoes and celery are soft and all the flavors are blended. Add the sautéed bacon. Serve in bowls with oyster or clam crackers.