Ingredients
Serves 4-6
150g / 3 thick slices of pancetta, cut up into cubes
or 4 thick peices of good quality bacon
2 tbsp of unsalted butter or cooking oil
1 onions, diced
4 medium celery branches, diced
3 corn husks (about 300g / 1.5 cups of sweet corn kernals)
5 medium potatoes cut up into medium sizes
1.5 litres / 6 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp of dried or fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
15 cl / 1/2 cup of cream or non dairy cream
Salt/pepper to taste
*for extra smokiness use smoked salt
Preparation
1- Cube your pancetta or slice your bacon and saute it in a soup pot on medium heat until slightly browned. Take it out of the pot and set aside.
2- Meanwhile, prepare your onions and celery by dicing them up to approxiamately the same size (see photos below.) Once your pancetta is out of the pot, add in your butter, onions and celery. Turn down your heat to medium-low, as you want to cook these until translucent.
3- Shuck your corn husks and with a serated knife, cut off the kernals. Prepare your potatoes by dicing them up into the size you prefer. Feel free to peel them if you prefer.
4- Once your onions and celery are translucent, add in your corn, thyme, bay leaf, potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer until your potatoes are cooked through, about 20-40 minutes depending on their size.
5- Add in your cream. You can use an emmersion blender to zap some of the chowder to create a thicker soup. I sometimes do this depending on how I’m feeling that day. You’re ready to serve. Enjoy!
Step 1
You can and I always encourage prepare all of your ingredients before starting to cook. I do find recipe manageable to prep as you cook. If that feels good to you, go for it!
On medium heat, lightly brown your pancetta. Once browned, take it out and put it aside.
Add your butter and allow to melt while scraping any browned bits leftover from the pancetta with a wooden spatula.
Add in your onions and celery together and allow to sautee until translucent on medium heat.
You can use a bit of your chicken broth to deglaze your pan if you feel like it's browning too much (with the pits of pancetta left perhaps.)
Shuck your corn husks and do your best to get off all the silky fibers.
Hold your cob perpendicular to the cutting board and use a serated knife to gently cut downwards. To prevent your kernals from bouncing all over the place I do half a cob at a time. You can even break it in half if you prefer.
Prepare your thyme. I cut the thyme right up with the stems up until the point where they are too woody. You can use dried thyme if you prefer.
Once your onions & celery are transulenct, add back in your pancetta along with the corn, thyme and bay leaf.
Prepare your potatoes. I like to keep the skin on but feel free to peel them if you prefere. Cut them up in a dice size that sounds yummy to you. I like a medium dice.
Add the potatos to your pot along with the chicken broth. Bring it to a boil and allow to simmer the time needed for your potatoes to cook about 20-40 minutes depending on the size of the cut. Use a knife to check them. Ideally you don't overcook them as they are really yummy when firm / not overcooked.
Once your potatoes are cooked, add in your cream and stir.
Ready to serve up a hot cozy bowl of corn chowder.
Story
Many American recipes have become cravings for me since living here in France fulltime for 5 years now. Corn chowder is one that I rarely ate in the U.S. but that I now find so delicious and look forward to making each year.
If you are in France ~ more specifically Paris, sweet corn is a rare occasion. The season is short and the locations to find it are limited. Mid September to mid October is what seems to be the season. If you see some, grab it and note where you found it. I always freeze several bags usually for Thanksgiving’s cornbread or another batch of the Corn chowder later down the line.
Since I rarely ate this in the U.S. my experience with it is simply from looking at yummy looking recipes online and combining what sounded good to me. One day, I’ll make it to New England and I’m sure this recipe will change after having the real deal, in real life. So please, take this recipe with a grain of … corn.
