Ingredients
Serves 4-6
Pancetta – 150g or 3 thick slices cut up into cubes
2 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 onions, diced
4 medium celery branches, diced (same size as onions)
3 husks or about 300g of corn off the husk
5 medium potatoes cut up into small/medium sizes (dependent on your taste)
1.5 litres / 6 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp of dried or fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
15 cl of cream
Salt/pepper to taste
*for extra smokiness use smoked salt
Preparation
1- Cube your pancetta and sauteeing 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 medium size (see photos below for inpsiration.) Once your pancetta is out of the pot, add in your butter, onions and celery. You want to cook these until translucent.
3- Shuck your corn husks and with a serated knife, cut off the kernals. To prevent the kernals from bouncing everywhere I do half at a time so the kernals don’t fall from so high. Prepare your potatoes by dicing them up into the size you prefer. I like a medium dice for this chowder. Feel free to peel them if you prefer.
4- Once your onions and celery are cooked, 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- Once your potatoes are cooked through, 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 what I want that day. You’re ready to serve. Enjoy!
Step 1
You can prepare all of your ingredients before starting to cook or prepare as you cook. I find this is a manageable recipe to prep as you cook.
On medium heat, slightly 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 service and use a serated to gently cut downwards. To prevent your kernals from bouncing all over the place I do half a kern 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 that 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 them to your pot.
Add in your chicken broth, bring 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.
