Corn Chowder: Velvety and Naturally Sweet

Place 170g diced bacon in a large pot over medium heat. Fry until the pieces are crispy and have released their fat. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.

Add the 1 diced onion, 2 diced celery stalks, and 1 diced red pepper to the bacon fat. Cook for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Stir in the 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Sauté for 1 minute until the garlic smells toasty.

While the vegetables soften, cut the kernels off the 5 ears of corn. Use the back of your knife to scrape the milk from the cobs into a bowl.

Add the 680g cubed Yukon Gold potatoes and the corn kernels to the pot. Stir to coat them in the flavored oil and spices.

Pour in 1 liter chicken stock and add the bare corn cobs (broken in half if needed). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.

Fish out the corn cobs and discard them.

Stir in the 240ml heavy cream and the reserved corn milk. Season with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.

Simmer for another 5 minutes until the soup is slightly thickened and velvety. Stir in the crispy bacon bits and top with 2 tbsp fresh chives before serving.