Corn Chowder
"Sweet, creamy, and smoky. The soup that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with cream of anything from a can."
The Game Plan
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Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until perfectly crispy and golden. Remove, crumble onto a plate, and set aside for topping.
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Leave 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot — this is the flavor foundation and you will not apologize for it.
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Add butter to the bacon fat and melt over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.
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Add garlic, smoked paprika, and cayenne if using. Stir for 30 seconds until everything smells incredible.
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Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute to make a quick roux. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking to prevent any lumps.
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Add the cubed potatoes, corn kernels, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
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Cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a fork.
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Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend about half the soup right in the pot until creamy but still pleasantly chunky. No immersion blender? Carefully scoop half into a regular blender (vent the lid — hot soup explodes), blend smooth, and pour it back.
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Stir in the heavy cream and heat through for 2-3 minutes over medium-low. Don't let it boil — simmering cream is happy cream, boiling cream is broken cream.
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Season generously with salt and pepper. Corn is sweet, so it can handle bold seasoning. Taste and adjust.
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Ladle into bowls and pile on the crumbled bacon, fresh chives, and an extra grind of black pepper. A drizzle of good olive oil on top doesn't hurt either.
