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1
Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
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2
Bring 1 cup fresh water to a boil in a 5-quart heavy pot, then add clams and cook over moderately high heat, covered, until clams are fully open, checking every minute after 5 minutes and transferring clams with a slotted spoon to a bowl as they fully open.
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3
(Discard any clams that have not opened after 8 minutes.)
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4
Pour cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl.
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5
Remove cooked clams from shells, discarding shells.
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6
Coarsely chop clams and transfer to a bowl, then coarsely chop raw oysters and transfer to another bowl.
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7
Pour reserved oyster liquor through sieve into bowl with clam cooking liquid.
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8
Cook bacon in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 6 minutes, then transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
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9
Add butter to pot and when foam subsides, cook onion, leeks, celery, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 12 to 15 minutes.
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10
While vegetables are cooking, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
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11
Add wine to softened vegetables and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.
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12
Add potatoes, clam cooking liquid, and bottled clam juice.
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13
(If potatoes aren't fully covered with liquid, add more clam juice or water.)
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14
Simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
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15
Puree 2 cups soup in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot.
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16
Add cream, salt, pepper, Old Bay, and cayenne and cook at a bare simmer, stirring, until soup is heated through (do not let boil).
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17
Add clams and oysters and cook, stirring, just until oyster pieces begin to curl, 1 to 2 minutes.
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18
Remove from heat and discard bay leaf, then stir in parsley.
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19
Serve topped with crumbled bacon.
