Cob Smoked Corn Chowder
With the freezing temperatures lately, soup has definitely been on the menu in this house and today, we are having Cob Smoked Corn Chowder.
So what is “Cob Smoked” Corn Chowder?
Well, when a co-worker travels to Vermont every couple of years to purchase their Wallingford Cobsmoke Bacon, (smoked over corn cobs and maple wood) and they bring some back for you, you stretch it as much as you possibly can and continue enjoying it’s delicious and unique flavor as long as possible.
One way not to waste anything is to utilize the fat renderings in a soup, and given the smoky undertones of corn, there is no better pairing than a hearty Corn Chowder!
For those (mostly all) of you who do not have access to this particular brand of bacon (including myself 99% of the year), don’t sweat it because any type of bacon will do just fine. You can easily re-create this soup on your own by following the recipe below and using the bacon of your choice.
Cob Smoked Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 5 Ears of Corn Strings Removed
- 5 Slices of Smoked Bacon & Fat Renderings
- 4 Cloves of Garlic Roasted
- 1 Small Yellow Onion Diced
- 2 Stalks of Celery Diced
- 12-14 Baby Red Potatoes Diced
- 4 TBSP Butter
- 2 TBSP All Purpose Flour
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 3/4 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- Fresh Parsley (optional) For Garnish
- Cayenne Pepper Very Small Pinch
Instructions
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1. First, remove any brown/dirty outer leaves of corn, and trim off the stringy tips. Reserve the lighter green inner leaves and peel them down to remove the strings from inside the husk so all that’s left are the kernels and lighter green leaves. Pull lighter green leaves back up around the corn and transfer into a baking dish with high sides. Drizzle corn with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add 2 TBSP of butter to the bottom of the baking dish and bake at 380 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. The husks should have begun to turn light brown, but the corn itself should remain vibrant and yellow. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, shave kernels off the cob and set aside for later.
2. While you are preparing the rest of the ingredients, drizzle olive oil over the four cloves of garlic and wrap inside a piece of aluminum foil. Bake at 380 degrees until the remaining ingredients are prepped (15-20 minutes). Remove garlic from oven, which should be golden brown and softened. Run a knife through until finely minced and set aside.
3. In a soup or dutch oven pot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp, reserving any remaining fat renderings and set bacon aside for later topping. To the renderings, add remaining 2 TBSP of butter, onions, and celery. Sweat down for 5-6 minutes, then add the roasted garlic. Slowly stir in flour for another minute or so to combine.
4. Add chicken stock, milk, bay leaves, thyme, and potatoes and bring up to a boil.
5. Once the soup comes to a boil, lower heat and simmer. Add corn, heavy cream, and Cheddar cheese, three slices of bacon (crumbled) and a tiny pinch of Cayenne pepper to the soup pot and cook for an additional half hour or so until the potatoes are fully cooked and desired thickness is achieved.
6. Top off with extra cheese, remaining crumbled bacon, and fresh parsley to garnish. Serve hot.