Today is officially the first day of fall! And with Austin experiencing an unusually rainy September, I thought it would be a great day to bust out a chowder: specifically a potato-bacon-corn-serrano chowder that pulls in some of those late-summer veggies we’re still seeing fresh & local this time of year.
Bacon & Corn Chowder Ingredients:
- 4 slices of thick cut bacon, cut in small pieces
- 1 medium sized white onion, diced
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & diced
- 2 ears of fresh corn, removed from the cob (if you can’t find fresh, canned will work, but rinse thoroughly)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 one serrano pepper, cored and de-seeded, then finely minced (optional)
- 1 quart of chicken broth (homemade is best, otherwise go for a low-sodium variety)
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- Croutons or bread to serve with
- Chopped scallions for garnish
Bacon & Corn Chowder Directions:
- Put your bacon in a large sauce pot, and turn the heat to high. Cook bacon until it starts to get crispy, then add the chopped onion. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, until they become translucent and have reduced in size by half. Then, add the potatoes, serrano, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer to cook for another 12 minutes.
- While your potatoes cook, pour half of your milk (1/2 cup) into a bowl and add the flour. Whisk to create a slurry.
- After the potatoes have cooked for 12 minutes, or until they are soft throughout, add the corn, milk, milk slurry, and remaining spices. Return to a boil uncovered, then again reduce down to a simmer. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Serve with bread or croutons, and garnish with chopped scallions. Makes four generous servings.
This is a great, inexpensive, 30-minute dinner recipe, perfect for a chilly night. By the way — if you’d like to make the chowder vegetarian, simply omit the bacon, and instead cook your onions in 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Then use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Enjoy!
