Quick Corn Chowder with Bacon
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Corey had to talk me into cooking this particular recipe because it is getting warm this time of year in Vermont. I had also never really had corn chowder (growing up in the Midwest there are not many chowder options), but I was pleasantly surprised at the result. This chowder thick yet is not heavy and filled our kitchen with brilliant smells as we cooked. We liked the idea of substituting chicken stock and corn puree for a cream base, and really enjoyed the bits of bacon flavor throughout the dish. Unlike some creamy dishes, it reheated well and did not have an oily separation when we ate it as leftovers. All around solid chowder, delicious even on a warm summer day!
Servings: 4
Prep Time:10 mintues
Cook Time:15 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 cups (about 2 pounds) frozen corn kernals, thawed
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 slices bacon, chopped fine
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 2 pounds of russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1/2 pound heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
Directions
1. Puree 4 cups corn and 2 cups broth in blender or food processor until smooth. Cook bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minues; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Reduce heat to medium and cook onion and potatoes in bacon fat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
2.Whisk in pureed corn mixture, cream, thyme, cayenne, and remaining broth and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining corn and cook until corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with crisp bacon .Serve.
Frozen corn can be quickly defrosted in a bowl in the microwav3e. If using fresh corn, you'll need about 1 dozen medium ears; use a chef's knife to cut the kernals off the husked and silked ears.
Notes
Deciding when to stop processing the corn and chicken stock puree proved to be a bit tricky in this recipe. We found that we needed to process our puree a longer than expected to avoid a grainy texture. After an additional spin the food processor, the mixture was thick and creamy, a great substitute for a heavy cream base. We also substituted dried thyme for fresh in this recipe. Sometimes guessing the correct amount seems to be the most appealing option when substituing dried herbs for fresh, but we suggest that you look up the correct substitution amount. It's very easy to over power a dish with dried herbs, even when you think you know the "perfect" amount.
