Remove the thick skin from 1 small slab of salt pork. Dice the pork and place in a hot, deep soup pot. Don't burn the salt pork but heat until the fat has cooked off the pork. I have also used fatback. In that case, strain the salt from the fat and remove all the slabs and salt before proceeding. Or use just some butter and olive oil.
If you need to add some butter to the pot, do it now.
Add leeks and onion to the pot and cook until limp:
3 large leeks, sliced thin and cleaned if necessary
1 large onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Add about 2 Tbsp. Wondra and stir and heat until bubbly. Stir in 1 large can of chicken stock.
Chop about 8 cups of potatoes into bite-sized pieces. I leave the skins on California golden or white potatoes. Place the potatoes in the soup pot and cover with more stock or water. Boil on medium-high until potatoes are just tender.
Heat crock pot to medium.
Place 1/2 stick of butter and 1/4 cup of Wondra in a small saucepan and heat until bubbly. Slowly add 1 quart half and half until you have a very creamy chowder. Place in crock pot.
At this point you can transfer the chowder to a crock pot. Stir. Heat about 3 cups of fresh corn kernels in the soup pot with some butter or reserved pork fat. Add to the chowder.
Add 4 cans of drained baby clams (whole clams or use minced if you prefer) to the chowder.
Top with fresh thyme (1 tsp) or dried (2 tsp).
Update: use pepper bacon instead of salt pork. Add at least 2 cups fresh or frozen corn. Start your chowder with corn cobs simmered in the chicken broth.
