15 Minute New England Clam Chowder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the clams and make your own clam juice as detailed, below.
2. In the cold pressure cooker, with the top off, add the bacon and turn on the heat at a low flame. When the bacon releases it's fat and it begins to sizzle, add the onion, salt and pepper and raise the heat to medium.
3. When the onions have softened, add the wine and scrape all of the brown delicious bits off the bottom of the pan to incorporate into your sauce.
4. Let the wine evaporate almost completely and then add the diced potatoes, clam juice (if you do not have 2 cups of juice, compensate the rest with water), Bay Leaf, Thyme, and Cayenne Pepper.
5. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker.
6. Cook for 5 Minutes at High Pressure.
7. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure.
8. While the potatoes are pressure cooking, make a roux to thicken the chowder by blending equal amounts of butter and flour over low heat and stirring constantly with a small wooden spoon until they are both well blended.
9. To the open pressure cooker add the clam meat, cream, milk and roux.
10. Stir well, and simmer all of the ingredients in the pressure cooker, with the top off, at Medium-Low heat for 5 Minutes.
11. Serve garnished with soup crackers or inside a bread bowl.
12. Fresh Clams – Prepare your pressure cooker by putting in one cup of water, and the steamer basket. Clean the shells of the clams, then place them in the steamer basket. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker and turn the heat to High. When the pan reaches pressure, lower the flame to minimum heat and count 5 Minutes cooking time under pressure. When time is up, release pressure through the valve. Open the clams over the pan (to keep the juice dribbling in there) and set the clam meat aside. Discard clam shells and unopened clams – the liquid at the bottom of your pan is the clam juice!
13. Frozen Clams – If they are frozen in their open shells, follow the instructions for fresh clams, above. If they are un-shelled simply let them defrost in your refrigerator overnight or immediately in your sink by running cold water over the unopened package. Then, put a strainer over a bowl and carefully open the package over the strainer. Strain the clams. The liquid in the bowl is your clam juice.
14. Canned or Jarred Clams – Put a strainer over a bowl, pour the contents of the can or jar into the strainer. The liquid in the bowl is your clam juice.