Must-Make: The Ultimate Corn and Bacon Chowder Recipe (2024)
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ByMichael Wurm Jr.
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It’s August, and here in Central PA, ’tis the season for all things corn! Everyone and their brother grows it and everyone and their brother sells it. I am certainly not complaining. Fresh corn right off the cob, served with a little butter and salt, is a magical thing. When it’s slightly sweet and tender, I could probably eat a dozen ears all by myself.
As much as I like corn au naturel, I also like cooking with it. You may remember my Out-of-this-World Corn Dip, Jalapeño Corn Dip, and even my White Chicken Chili.
Anywho, I just got a new KitchenAid blender and wanted to give it a whirl. Instead of whipping up a typical smoothie, I thought a soup would be a fun way to test out it’s capabilities. With lots of corn on hand, I decided to make corn chowder. And for something extra, I threw in some bacon. (Let’s be honest, bacon is always in season.)
I’ve already admitted here on IBC that I’m not a huge fan of soup. (Chicken noodle soup is probably one of my least favorite things.) However, if it’s a creamy soup, chowder, or chili, you can count me in. I’m happy to report this recipe did not disappoint my picky-soup-pallette.
Everything comes together pretty quickly in a large pot. The recipe starts with lots of bacon. This nicely balances the sweetness of the corn and the little squirt of honey at the end.
To make this soup extra thick and creamy, I pureed about three cups of the chowder and then added it back in. The blender went through it effortlessly, bacon and all.
Garnished with some cheddar cheese, chives, and more bacon, this chowder is a winner. Another delicious way for me to up my corn intake this summer. Yum!
Let me share the recipe with you.
The flavor of this chowder is brilliant. I love the sweetness from the corn and how it works with the savory bacon. I think you’re going to love it, too.
Fresh chives, shredded cheddar cheese, and cooked chopped bacon for garnish
Instructions
Begin by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Then, add the onion and bacon. Cook until the onion is soft, translucent, and beginning to brown around the edges, about 8 – 10 minutes.
Add the flour and garlic; then cook for an additional minute.
Next, slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil while continuing to stir. Then, add the potatoes and corn kernels. Season with thyme and bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a light boil; then reduce the heat and allow to summer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).
Once the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf. Transfer about 3 cups of the chowder to a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir the pureed chowder back into the pot and add the half and half and the honey. Serve hot, garnished with chives, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon.
Chowder is a soup with cream or milk mixed with ingredients such as potatoes, sweet corn, smoked haddock, clams and prawns, etc. Some cream-style chowders do not use cream, and are instead prepared using milk and a roux to thicken them.
Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool. Add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until it's blended smooth. Next, bring the soup to a simmer and add the mixture back to the pot. Pro tip: Don't dump in the entire mixture at once.
A chowder is a rich, hearty soup with seafood or chicken that starts with a base of salt pork or bacon and a mix of vegetables like onions, celery, and potatoes. Most chowders are creamy, but one in particular—Manhattan clam chowder—has a tomato base.
Corn chowder is a chowder soup prepared using corn as a primary ingredient. Basic corn chowder is commonly made of corn, onion, celery, milk or cream, and butter. Additional ingredients sometimes used include potatoes or squash, salt pork, fish, seafood and chicken.
Customarily, chowder included onion, potatoes, and cream. Nowadays, not all chowders adhere to these guidelines. New England Clam Chowder is sometimes made with milk, whereas Manhattan Clam Chowder doesn't have any milk or cream but has a tomato base instead.
New England clam chowder is perhaps the most popular and well-known iteration of the dish. It's a classic combination of clams, onions, corn, celery, bacon or salt pork, and potatoes.
However, chowder can also get a bad reputation due to the large amounts of butter, bacon, and heavy cream that are often used to thicken it and add flavor. As a result, it can be a super-rich dish.
Roux (pronounced roo) is a mixture of equal weights (parts) of flour and fat (usually clarified butter; chicken fat, bacon fat, and margarine are also used) cooked over medium heat and stirred constantly. Roux is the most common thickener for sauces and soups.
Whisk 2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch with ¼ cup of milk and stir this into the soup before adding the heavy cream. This should help the soup thicken a bit more.
Russets or all-purpose baking potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture. In soups, they will soak up the liquid and lose their shape. This makes them the ideal choice for making creamy soups or thickening a runny soup. Try using Russet potatoes to create the perfect Loaded Potato Soup.
What Is Clam Chowder Supposed to Taste Like? New England clam chowder is a mix of creamy soup and briny, salty, chewy clams. This is complemented with soft onions, celery, and cubed potatoes. Seasonings like pepper enhance the soup, preventing it from being bland.
These days it's unfashionable to disparage pork belly in any form, but when it comes to chowder recipes I am firmly anti-bacon. Clam, corn, salmon, no matter the variety, too many chowders are marred by flotsam of limp lardons in this creamy stew.
It all comes down to the soup base or broth. New England Clam Chowder contains cream for a white, cream-based broth. Manhattan Clam Chowder has a tomato base, giving the broth a red color. The lesser-known Rhode Island Clam Chowder has a clear broth without tomato or cream.
Chowder vs. Soup: What's the Difference? While soups can be thin and light, a chowder is characterized by being rich and thick. Like stew, it contains large chunks of meat or seafood and vegetables, notably potatoes.
The best side dishes to serve with corn chowder are cornbread, BLT sandwiches, birria quesadillas, sautéed mushrooms, potato pancakes, Hawaiian roll breakfast sliders, Italian sausage, tuna salad without mayo, gluten-free bread, steamed vegetables, bacon-wrapped shrimp, tomato bruschetta, baked sweet potato, Caprese ...
Many regional variations exist, but the three most prevalent are New England or "white" clam chowder, which includes milk or cream, Manhattan or "red" clam chowder, which includes tomatoes, and Rhode Island or "clear" clam chowder, which omits both.
New England clam chowder is thick, creamy, and milky-white.Manhattan clam chowder is tomatoey, brothy, and clear. Both types share a clean, briny, and slightly-sweet flavor thanks to the clams—but that's about it.
Chowder vs. Soup: What's the Difference? While soups can be thin and light, a chowder is characterized by being rich and thick. Like stew, it contains large chunks of meat or seafood and vegetables, notably potatoes.
Also referred to as “Boston-style” clam chowder, New England chowder is milk or cream-based, making it significantly thicker than other regional styles. It's often made with milk, butter, potatoes, pork, onion, and clams and accompanied by oyster crackers.
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