Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat Dutch oven over a medium high heat and add diced bacon. Cook until crispy and remove bacon bits, leaving fat in pot. Add carrots, onions and celery and cook until soft. Add potatoes and cook until starting to soften. Add flour and stir for a few minutes to distribute.Stir in stock and smoked paprika. If you are using fresh corn, add at this stage, if using frozen or canned corn, hold off for now. Cook until potatoes are just tender, stirring regularly to ensure nothing sticks. You can mash some in to thicken the stock at this stage, but if you prefer them in chunks, just carry on. Add the corn (if using canned or frozen) and milk. Cook until heated through and add cream. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more milk or stock until chowder is at your desired thickness. Serve into bowls and top with cheddar, scallions and reserved bacon bits.
Nutrition
Notes
If you want to maximise the corn flavour, make corn stock! Remove the corn kernels from 5 or 6 ears of corn. Save any corn silk, husks and the ears. Place into a pot with an onion cut in half, a roughly chopped carrot and stick of celery, a bay leaf, and a sprig of fresh thyme and parsley. Top with chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for an hour or so and strain. Use in place of the chicken stock above.
Leave out the bacon and double the smoked paprika for a vegetarian version.
Add some cayenne pepper to taste if you like a little kick.