Corn Chowder

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.

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.

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.