Serves 6
Ingredients
3 medium ears of corn
4oz slab of unsliced bacon, rind removed and cut into 1/3 inch dice
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion
1/2 large red pepper
1 or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp turmeric
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
2 tsp cornflour, dissolved in 2 tbsp water
1 cup double cream
Chives, chopped, to garnish
Notes
If I can’t find a slab of bacon in the supermarket, I substitute lardons or pancetta cubes, or failing that as thick cut bacon as you can find, cubed.
I often like to substitute sweet potatoes for the normal type. If I do, cooking time reduces.
Directions
1. Husk the corn: remove the silk from the ears, then cut the kernels from the cob and put in a bowl. Put the cobs into the stock to make sure you get all the corn juices!
2. Heat a large pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp and golden brown. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.
3. Add the butter, onion, red pepper, thyme, cumin, turmeric, and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until the onion and pepper are tender but not browned.
4. Add the corn kernels, potatoes, and stock, turn up the heat, cover, and boil vigorously for about 10 minutes (8 minutes if using sweet potatoes). Some of the potatoes will have broken up, but most will retain their shapes. Use the back of your spoon to squash a bit of the corn and potatoes against the side of the pot.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and season with salt and pepper.
6. Stire the cornstarch slurry and slowly pour it into the pot, stirring constantly. As soon as the chowder has come to the boil and thickened slightly, remove from the heat and add the cream. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.
If you’re intending to eat it the same day, allow it to sit at room temperature for around an hour, to let the flavours meld. The reheat gently (don’t let it boil!), serve, and sprinkle with the chives. Otherwise, the flavours get even better if you let it cool and then refrigerate for a day…