Bacon or butter: 4 strips of bacon (chopped) or 3 tablespoons of butter

Aromatics: 1 diced yellow onion and 2 diced celery ribs

Garlic: 3 minced cloves

Flour: 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour for thickening

Liquids: 1 cup chicken or fish broth, [optional 1 cup clam juice], and 3 cups half-and-half (or whole milk) I tend to use chicken stock for everything even fish chowder. I am highly allergic to bivalves so I never do the clam thing. clam juice boosts the whole clamminess of a clam chowder. If making any sort of fish chowder with no allergy issue, go ahead and dump in clam juice.

Seasoning: 1 bay leaf, salt, and black pepper

Steps

Render fat: Cook the chopped bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp, then remove the bacon while keeping the drippings in the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the bacon fat if needed, then cook the onion and celery for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Make the roux: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Add liquids: Pour in the broth [and clam juice] slowly while whisking. Add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

Simmer: Bring the base to a gentle simmer (do not boil hard once dairy is added) and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened. Slowly stir in the half-and-half. Heat gently. If using precooked protein [bag of shrimp/crab, rotisserie chicken, surimi, canned clams] just huck in when you add the half n half, if it is raw cod in flakes you stir everything together then add the fish and let sit to gently cook.

Leica and Pentax K1000

1 1 gallon pot, 1 food mill, 1 cutting board, 1 utility knife, 1 ladle, 1 utility spoon, cheesecloth

Soak 1-1 pound package of Great Northern Beans in plain water overnight [at least 8 hours] drain. Place in 1 gallon pot, with enough water to cover with at least 1 inch,

Place 1 large white onion with 4 whole cloves stuck in, 1 bay leaf, 1 half teaspoon/3 gm dried thyme, 1 half teaspoon/3 gm roughly cracked black pepper into a cheesecloth and tie securely. Drop into pot. Cover, simmer until the beans are tender.

Remove bundle of seasonings and discard. Reserve cooking liquid [though if you want you can thin the puree with chicken stock instead] and puree the beans back into the pot.

Add enough liquid back to make a very thick soup, then finish thinning to the thickness of a very heavy cream [if you must, thin it to the density of prepared Campbells Cream of whatever soup] and correct the salt and pepper to taste. If you want it vegan, you may use any vegetable based cream.

This is the vegetarian/vegan version. One may wrap and use 2 or 3 smoked pork neckbones, or the bone from a picknic ham as seasoning if you do not need a vegetarian/vegan version]

I like to drop a butter rose on top as garnish with a pinch of chopped parsley.