Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder

Begin by draining the clams into a colander placed over a measuring cup, making sure to reserve the clam juice - which should be just over 2 cups liquid.

Next, activate a multi-functional pressure cooker such as Instant Pot and select the Saute function. Cook the bacon until it has rendered its fat and turned crispy, taking around 5 minutes to achieve this. Remove the cooked bacon from the pot and place it on a paper towel-lined plate, setting it aside for later use.

Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pot and cook the onion and celery in it until they are soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for about 1 minute, allowing its fragrance to fill the air.

Pour in 1/4 cup of clam juice and bring the mixture to a boil, taking care to scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Combine this with potatoes, carrots, pepper, thyme, and the remaining clam juice in the pot. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker according to its manufacturer's instructions, then set a timer for 4 minutes. Allow 10-15 minutes for the pressure to build.

Release the pressure using the natural-release method, as instructed by the manufacturer - this should take around 5 minutes. Then carefully release any remaining pressure using the quick-release method, also following the manufacturer's instructions - this should take another 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid of the pressure cooker.

Remove 3/4 cup of the potatoes from the pot and mash them using a fork. Return the mashed potatoes to the pot and stir them in. Turn on the Saute mode of the pressure cooker and add the clams and half-and-half to the pot. Cook until heated through, but not boiling - take care not to let it boil.

Ladle the mixture into bowls and top each bowl with cooked bacon.