Creamy Corn Chowder

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 8 ears fresh corn, shucked
• 8 slices bacon, chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 celery ribs, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups milk
• 3 medium new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 1/2 lb.)
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, for garnish

Recipe

• 1 working over a large bowl, slice the kernels off the corn cobs, scraping the cobs with the knife to extract the flavorful juices.
• 2 halve 5 of the bare corn cobs crosswise, discarding the rest.
• 3 set the corn and cobs aside.
• 4 heat the bacon in a 6-qt pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 12 minutes.
• 5 reserve 3 tbs bacon for a garnish, leaving the remaining bacon and fat in the pot.
• 6 add the butter, thyme, garlic, celery, onions, and bay leaf.
• 7 cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 6 minutes.
• 8 add the reserved corn kernels and cobs, milk, and potatoes.
• 9 cover, bring the chowder to a boil, decrease heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
• 10 skim any foam from the surface of the soup.
• 11 discard the cobs and bay leaf; transfer 1 1/2 cups of the soup to a blender and puree.
• 12 stir the puree back into the chowder to thicken it.
• 13 season with salt and pepper and serve the soup garnished with the reserved bacon and basil.