Flour (for a roux) is typical for chowders and is worth considering as it allows you to make a thick (or thickish) chowder without having to boil the potatoes to death and/or use lots of cream.
Though I don't use wine in clam chowder, I do use it in corn and cheddar chowder, in shrimp, crab or lobster chowder and bisques, and a few others. I'd consider an unoaked sauv blanc or 'chablis' for your chowder.
Yes to the bay and thyme. Celery optional. I like it. Consider a little garlic.
Butter is
required, imo.
You can replace some of the fat from the rendered bacon with butter for sauteing the onion.*
Potatoes for chowder are often cooked separately. I do that, or not, depending on what kind of chowder I'm making. One approach I often take is to boil the peeled diced potatoes (figure 2 med potatoes per 2.5 c liquid) in lightly salted water till barely tender. Then I remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and reserve, and mix some potato cooking water into chicken stock to make up the liquid for the soup. This mix goes into the pot the potatoes cooked in--after dumping remaining water--and is gently heated (for easier/better combination with the roux). Meanwhile I do the sauteing in another pot--the soup pot.
So-- A flow might be: Cook your lardons in the soup pot while the diced potatoes are cooking in their pot. (Remove the potatoes when barely tender, reserve, and mix some stock with some potato cooking water together, returning the liquid mix to the empty potato pot; keep warm.
Remove the lardons when ready toa paper towel to drain, and remove some of the fat (if copius) or replace some fat with unsalted butter*. Saute finely chopped onion (with or without a few T of very finely chopped celery),plus some thyme and a half a bay leaf, till the onion is lightly colored in spots. Add a littlemincedor pressed garlic and cook till the garlic is very fragrant, about 45 secs. Deglaze with a little white wine and allow the wine to reduce to almost nothing. Add 3-4 T flour (per 2.5 c liquid) to the pot and whisk well with a flat whisk, cooking the flour for a couple minutes. Ladle in some of the stock mix, whisking constantly; repeat till all is incorporated, then add a little milk and the potatoes. Cook, uncovered, about 20 min. Remove the bay leaf. Mash or puree a little of the soup, if desired, for additinal thickening and to spread flavors better. (I'd suggest pureeing some, and adding some of the lardons to the puree so the bacon flavor permeates better.)
[Alternatively, render and saute as noted above. Make the roux. Use chicken or veg stock, warmed, and add and whisk as noted. Then add uncooked diced potato to the potalong with the milk and cook the soup till the potatoes are tender.]
Stir in some heavy cream for richness and adjust salt. Season with white pepper and serve, sprinkled with minced fresh parsley or chives, if desired.**
* or you can wait, cook as planned, then serve with a patof unsalted butter on top of the soup.
** you could saute a peeled finely diced Delicious applein butter till caramelized then reserve. For service, top the soup with the parsley and/or chives then add a tablespoon pile of the caramelized apple to the center of the bowl.
Just a few thoughts.
