Seafood Chowder with Dill

I know I keep writing about soup, but when it is in the teens outside I have a hard time not talking about soup.  Nothing will warm you up like a bowl of really hot soup.  This particular chowder recipe originally came from a Bon Appetit magazine in 1998.  I found it on Epicurious in 2007. It combines two of my favorite things - soup and seafood.  It is as good today as it was 19 years ago when the recipe first appeared.  

Ingredients:

8 ounces salt pork, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 3/4 Cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
3/4 tsps dried thyme
1/2 cup finely crushed saltine crackers
2-10 ounce cans baby clams, drained, juice reserved
1 1/4 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 1/2 Cups bottled clam juice
1 1/2 pounds thick cod fillets, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 Cup half and half
1/2 Cup whipping cream
1/4 Cup chopped fresh dill

Preparation:

Stir salt pork pieces in heavy large soup pot over medium low heat until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the salt pork pieces and discard.  Add chopped onions, chopped celery and dried thyme to drippings in pot.  Increase heat to medium and saute' until vegetables are pale golden, about ten minutes.  Add crushed crackers and stir until beginning to color, about three minutes.  Add reserved juices from clams, potatoes and 2 1/2 Cups bottled clam juice to pot.  Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover pot and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about fifteen minutes.  Add cod pieces; simmer until fish is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes longer.  Add 1 Cup half and half, whipping cream, and canned baby clams.  Cook just until heated through, about five minutes (do not boil).  Mix in chopped dill and season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with dill fronds or green onion tops.  Serve with chilled chardonnay, crispy baguette and a simple green side salad. Um, Um Um !!