1/4 cup butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour (all-purpose)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups milk
Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (as many potatoes as you prefer)
2 (6.5-ounce) cans clams, minced, undrained
Crackers or bread
In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute bacon until crisp and golden brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon; drain bacon on paper towels (drain off the bacon fat from the soup pot). Set bacon aside. Add (or not add) the bacon fat back to clam chowder, but it is your choice! Reduce heat to low and add butter and stir until melted. Add onions and cook until they are translucent and soft (about 10 to 15 minutes). Sauteeing the onions in the butter is important to achieve the excellent taste. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Add flour, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly until well blended. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until sauce comes to a boil and thickens.