Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 slice smoked bacon (your favorite will do)
• 3/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup celery, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups yams, peeled and cubed (red skinned sweet potatoes)
• 1 cup potato, peeled and cubed (about 1 small)
• 16 ounces clam juice
• 1 dash Tabasco sauce (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 (10 ounce) can baby clams, drained

Instructions

1. In a three-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

2. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and the fat is rendered, about 5-6 minutes.

3. Remove bacon from pot, drain and set aside.

4. With about 1 tablespoon of drippings, add onion, celery, and pinch of salt and pepper to the pot and sauté over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 4-5 minutes.

5. Add the garlic and sauté one minute longer.

6. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, reduce liquid to half, about one minute.

7. Add the yams and white potatoes and clam juice to the pot.

8. Add salt and optional Tabasco.

9. Bring pot to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft-tender, about 15 minutes.

10. Remove pot from heat.

11. Puree soup in a food processor in two batches or use an immersion blender. Process until smooth. Soup should be quite thick at this point.

12. Add the half and half and clams. If soup is still too thick, add additional half and half or milk until it is your desired consistency.

13. Reheat soup but do not boil.

14. Correct seasoning. Additional salt may be required. A pinch of sugar may be necessary depending on the sweetness of your yams.

15. Garnish with crumbled reserved bacon.