Corn Chowder Recipe with Bacon and Potatoes
Corn chowder with crisp bacon, Yukon Gold potatoes, sweet corn, and a cream-finished broth, all made in one pot.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups corn kernels fresh, frozen, or drained canned
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 green onions thinly sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Render the bacon: Put the chopped bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven and set it over medium heat, starting from cold. Cook 7-8 minutes, stirring, until the pieces are browned and crisp. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel and pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the onion and celery to the bacon fat and cook 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Make the roux: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute, until no dry flour is left and the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Simmer the potatoes: Pour in the chicken broth slowly, whisking to keep it smooth. Add the potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then drop to a steady simmer and cook 15 minutes, until a knife slides into a potato cube with no resistance.
- Add the corn: Stir in the corn and simmer 5 minutes, just until it's hot through. The kernels should still pop between your teeth.
- Finish with the dairy: Turn the heat to low and stir in the milk and heavy cream. Warm 3-4 minutes, until the chowder is steaming and thick enough to coat a spoon. Don't let it boil or the dairy can break.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top each one with the reserved bacon and the sliced green onions.
Notes
Start the bacon in a cold pot so the fat renders out slowly and you get both crisp pieces and drippings to cook the vegetables in. Add the corn in the last 5 minutes so it stays sweet and poppy, and drop the heat to low before the milk and cream go in so the dairy doesn't break. Reheat leftovers to 165°F without letting them boil.