Cook the bacon in a 4.5-quart soup pot slowly over low heat. Once cooked, set aside on a paper towel lined plate and chop once cooled. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings.

Wipe any dark spots from the pot but leave as much bacon remnants as possible.

Add reserved bacon drippings and butter to the pot over medium heat and add the diced onions and celery. Soften for 5-6 minutes, then add garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring continuously.

Add the chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously, then add the half and half in the same manner.

Stir in the chicken bouillon and bay leaf. Add the juice from the canned clams, but don’t add the clams yet. Stir in the additional clam juice.

Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the soup. Let the potatoes cook through for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender.

Stir in the clams and let them heat through for about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, freshly cracked pepper, and chopped bacon.