Fresh Corn Chowder

By Gggoody

Gluten free

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 strips of bacon halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" pieces
• 1 large yellow onion chopped fine
• 1/2 celery stalk, chopped
• 5 ears sweet corn, kernels removed from the cobs, cobs reserved
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

Details

Adapted from 12tomatoes.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, bacon, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring frequently for four minutes. Add the celery and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened and the edges are beginning to brown.
Break the corn cobs in half and add them to the saucepan. Add the milk, water, and bay leaf, then bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, making sure the heat is as low as it can be while still maintaining a gentle simmer.
Discard the cobs and the bay leaf. Raise the heat, add the potatoes and corn kernels, and bring to a simmer. Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to maintain the simmer for 15 minutes.
Process 2 cups of the chowder in a blender until smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Return the puree to the chowder. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and optionally a little sugar. Serve with a sprinkling of basil or a light dusting of cayenne pepper.
Enjoy!