I stole this recipe but it is time to tell all

I was married before. Eons and eons ago on another planet I was married. I lived in Los Angeles and there was a restaurant there that "Mr First" and I used to go to. This restaurant had THE best clam chowder (Boston of course) and it just so happened that the owner of this restaurant was friends with "Mr First's" family. So, "Mr. First would always ask for this clam chowder recipe and "Restaurant Dude" would never give it to him. Well, come our wedding Mr restaurant dude gave us a card that looked like this:



Inside of that card when you unfolded it lo and behold there was the recipe




So, eons have gone by and Mr First has moved on and so has Restaurant Dude (restaurant closed down eons ago too). *I* was crafty enough to leave all my worldly possessions behind when I got divorced (other than baccarat crystal glasses and this recipe...oh yeah, and my China). Pffft....furntiture...who needs furniture?



I was at dinner last night at the neighbors and when Jeff said that he loves clam chowder I said "I make the best" and promised to make him some today from the Restaurant Dude's recipe.



Clam Chowder

24 oz minced clams (canned)
1 qt clam juice
6 oz salt pork (ground fine)
6 oz onions (diced)
4 oz celery (chopped)
1lb potato (diced)
2 oz flour
1/8 oz salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 qt cream (this recipe calls for mocha mix here. I don't even know if mocha mix exsists anymore. I used Coffee Mate (regular and liquid and not fat free. You can do what you want but I would not use regular cream here. I think that this is the secret to this recipe)
2 oz butter
1 oz corn starch
4 oz evaporated milk
1 oz brandy

1. Drain juice from clams and reserve. Add potatoes to juice (1qt + reserve from clams) cook till tender. Add salt and pepper and set aside.

2. In large pot render salt pork (5-10min). Add onions and celery and saute until transparent.

3. Add flour to make roux and cook 2 to 3 min (DO NOT BROWN). Mix in juice and potatoes and clams.

4. Add Cream (mocha mix) and butter reserving 1 cup cream to mix with starch and add to chowder. i

5. Place over heat and stir continually till thickened- DO NOT BOIL!

6. Remove from heat and add evaporated milk and brandy

Ok to store in refrig and reheat. Just before serving add a pinch of butter on top of bowl.

So there ya have it. My secret recipe. Not really mine because I sort of stole it. First from Restaurant Dude and finally from Mr. First. I took it. I am not even sure he ever knew that it was gone. So now I am sharing it with you. If anyone asks tell them that it was Restaurant Dude's recipe.