The nicest clam chowder, Essex girl style

  I got this recipe from a Jamie Oliver cookbook.  I can't remember the name of it but he is on the cover.  There is some great recipes out of that and this is one of them.  I actually have made this multiple times but last week was the first time for my son and he loved it too, just like everyone else!

olive oil
4 slices thick cut bacon chopped
1 small onion chopped
4 stocks of celery sliced
4 gloves garlic chopped
1 lb of potatoes chopped, I use Yukon Gold's
2 bay leaves
5 ears sweet corn or You can use 4 cups of frozen  I like whit corn
1 tbls fresh thyme
5 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 lbs fresh clams
2-3 red chillies chopped you can deseed them but I like the seeds
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley chopped
1/2 lemon
3 tbls heavy cream
salt and pepper

  Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot and add the chopped bacon, cook until golden.  Add the onion, celery, garlic, potatoes, and bay leaves.  Cook on low for about 15 minutes.  Cut the corn off the cob and add to the pot, add thyme and stock and cook for 20 more minutes.
  While the soup is cooking, get another pot with a lid on high heat.  When the pot is hot add the clams and a cup of water put the lid back on.  Leave to steam and boil till clams have opened.  Hold a strainer over the soup pot add the remainder water from the clams to the soup.  Discard any clams that remained closed, then add the meat from the clams to the soup, along with the chili, parsley, and the juice from a half a lemon.
  Remove half the soup to puree in a blender, then add back to the soup.  Stir in the cream warm through add salt and pepper and serve.