In a sauté pan, prepare the roux by melting the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

Strain the clams from the juice

In a large soup pot, heat the juice over medium heat. When hot, add the roux to thicken.

In a separate pot, boil or steam the onions and celery until tender. Boil or steam the potatoes until cooked but still firm. Add the cooked onions, celery and potatoes to the thickened clam broth. Add the chopped clams, cream and seasonings. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately.