Warming Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 thick slices bacon, cut into pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 1 large russet potato (about 340g), peeled and cut into 1cm pieces.
• 1 cup cream (any fat content)
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears) or frozen corn (thawed and drained)

Preparation:

1. In a medium Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
2. Drain almost all the fat from the casserole, reserving only 3 tablespoons. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the flour, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir the flour into the vegetable mixture until the vegetables are evenly coated. Cook for 1-2 minutes to cook the flour. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove the lid and add the potatoes, cream, and most of the corn to the pan, setting aside 1/2 cup. Cook over low heat until the potatoes are very tender but not falling apart, 10-12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the reserved 1/2 cup corn and cook, stirring, until heated through, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Puree about 1 cup of soup in a food processor or blender and blend it back into the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fried bacon and buttered corn kernels.