If you went clam digging earlier in the morning, make sure to let your clams spit sand in advance of making the chowder. How to make your clams spit sand? Submerge them in a giant bowl of water and salt. Let them sit there in your fridge for at least two hours.
Drop the bacon into your heavy pot or dutch oven. Make sure the heat is turned up high, and let the bacon cook and sizzle. Once cooked, remove the bacon and set aside.
Throw your diced leeks, garlic, and celery into the pot. Add your tbsp of butter/olive oil in, and let everything start to brown nicely.
While your leeks, garlic, and celery - bring a pot with at least 5 cups of water to boil. Once it's starting to medium boil, drop your clams in and put the top on. Let the clams cook for about 4ish minutes (depending on size of clam). Once shells open, remove the clams to a separate bowl. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE CLAM JUICE. Let the liquid cool, and let the remaining sand sink to the bottom of the pot. Scoop out about 4-5 cups of the clam juice and set aside. Remove clams from shell, roughly chop and set aside.
Deglaze your leeks, garlic, celery with a glass of your white wine, and refill that glass to continue enjoying your afternoon. Scrape up all the little brown bits.
Throw in the potatoes, and add all of the clam juice. Let everything come to a simmer.
Once the potatoes start to soften, pour in the milk, and let it come to a small boil to incorporate everything together and thicken. Season with salt & pepper. Add the fresh thyme.
If you want your chowder to be thicker, use cornstarch and make a slurry before adding to the pot.
At the very end, add your roughly chopped clams. Crumble or chop up the bacon and add at the very end.
Garnish with chopped chives, celery leaves, and serve alongside a thick slice of toasted bread.
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