I make this chowder every year at the height of corn season. It’s fresh-corny sweet, savory, chunky and satisfying. A crowd pleaser and always one that gets requested by name!
Corn Chowder
Ingredients
Instructions
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Heat a large, heavy saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl around. Add the diced pancetta and saute the pancetta until it is brown and crispy, but not well-done.
Add the diced onions and saute for a few minutes, until they are translucent, but not at all browned--you don't want that flavor in your chowder.
Add the garlic and celery and saute for a minute or so--just until the garlic is nice and fragrant--remember that garlic will start to caramelize quickly and you don't want that to happen. Stir constantly.
Add the flour to the mixture and stir around for a couple of minutes, until the flour is incorporated and cooked through.
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Add the chicken stock and stir to mix. Add the diced potatoes and fennel and stir to mix.
Simmer until the potatoes and fennel are tender--about 25 minutes--but test at about 20 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.
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Add fresh corn and stir to incorporate and bring the mixture back to a simmer. The chowder will be very thick and chunky at this point. Add a little more stock if you want a thinner texture, but I like the thick, chunkiness of this chowder.
Simmer the chowder for a few minutes, or until the corn is to your liking. I tend to like the corn to be nice and crisp, so I only simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with some crispy French bread and fresh butter. Enjoy with a nicely chilled Rose--I am particularly enjoying Ridge Vineyard's current release of Rose. It has a fresh crispness, but a lingering creaminess on the palate that I really enjoy. Also drinking nicely right now is the Rose from Picayune Winery, which is crisp, fresh and nicely balanced.
