Roasted Corn Chowder
Description
A basic roasted corn and potato chowder can be made with smoked salmon for a British Columbia-inspired flavor.
Ingredients
•
3 tablespoons butter, divided
•
3 cups fresh white corn kernels
•
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
•
1 pound bacon
•
1 large onion, chopped
•
3 cups chicken stock, or as needed
•
6 potatoes, diced
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1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
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4 cloves garlic, chopped
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1 teaspoon dried celery flakes
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1/2 teaspoon paprika
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1/2 cup half-and-half
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salt and ground black pepper to taste
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1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, or as needed
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat; stir in corn and tarragon and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
3
Place the skillet with corn in the preheated oven; roast, stirring every 5 minutes, until lightly browned but not dry, about 20 minutes.
4
Place bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon slices; drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
5
Heat reserved bacon fat in the Dutch oven over medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook and stir until onion is very tender and dark brown, about 15 minutes.
6
Pour chicken stock over caramelized onions; stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to dissolve any browned bits. Bring to a boil. Stir in corn, potatoes, parsley, garlic, celery, and paprika. Crumble bacon, reserving about 1/4 cup for garnish, and stir bacon into soup. Reduce heat to low; simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
7
Stir remaining 2 tablespoons butter and half-and-half into soup; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle reserved bacon and Cheddar cheese over soup to serve.