New England clam chowder from foraged quahogs

Scrub the clams; sort into small, medium and large in aluminum pans so each can be seen to open.

Set the pans on the preheated grill, close the lid and let them steam open, at least 10 minutes before checking; toss and turn up the heat as needed.

As each opens, pull out the meat, still translucent and not cooked through; discard any that do not open.

Tip the clam liquid into a measuring cup, leaving the sand behind.

Strain the clam liquid through a coffee filter, or faster through a double layer of cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve, to remove sand and silt.

Render the bacon in a Dutch oven over low heat while chopping the aromatics.

Wash the leeks where the light and dark green parts meet; split lengthwise and quarter; chop celery, fennel and onion coarsely.

When the bacon is mostly rendered and starting to crisp at the edges, add the butter, then all the aromatics; raise to medium and sweat at least 15 minutes, stirring, until they lose volume and much of their water. No salt: the clam liquid seasons the soup.

Chop the clams so no one bites into a whole one.

Peel and dice the potato into bite-sized pieces straight into a pot of water so it does not brown; boil separately, unsalted, then drain.

When the vegetables start to stick, add the flour in stages, stirring constantly to bind the fat into a roux and cook out the flour without burning.

Add the white wine to deglaze, scraping the browned flour from the bottom, and cook out the alcohol.

Add the strained clam liquid and the water, stirring to dissolve the flour from the bottom; taste for salt.

Bring up to a simmer and reduce a little.

Add the chopped clams and the drained potatoes.

Add about a cup of room-temperature heavy cream and do not boil hard afterward, so it does not break.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon, chopped parsley and oyster crackers.