SANDRA'S STEAMING SWEET and SMOKY SALMON CORN CHOWDER

[Yay! My photograph of this 
Sweet and Smoky Salmon-Corn Chowder
 was featured on 6-12-11 at:  
http://www.bfeedme.com/
a-craving-for-creamy-corn-chowder/]

Serves (4 to 6)

Prep: 10 mins. | 
Cook: 50 Mins. to 1 hr.


I like to finely mince veggies to make my chowders to form a flavorful broth, rather than using too much flour as a thickening agent.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS:

¼ lb. bacon, cut into ½” strips 
--(I use Jerry’s Meats double-smoked peppered brand)

1 white onion, (½ finely minced, ½ chopped)

1 carrot, scrubbed (1/2 finely minced, and 1/2 chopped)

1 russet potato, peeled (1/2 finely minced, and 1/2 chopped)

1 rib of celery with leaves (1/2 finely minced, and 1/2 chopped)

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon old bay seasoning

3 cobs of fresh corn, husked, with kernels cut from cob (also, use the back of the knife to extract corn milk from cob onto a plate – and place the corn kernels on it as well, and set aside.)

1/2 lb. smoked salmon, kippered fillets, or jarred strips, with skin removed, and flaked
1 cup half and half

1 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

METHOD:

In medium heavy-bottom pot we’ll make the broth by sauteing the bacon until browned, adding the ‘minced’ veggies, and garlic, and then stirring until cooked. Sprinkle in flour and stir two minutes longer. Add some kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste, bay leaf, and old bay seasoning. (Reserve ‘chopped’ potatoes and carrots in a small bowl of cold water to prevent oxidation, and set aside.)

Add water to the pot so it is a couple of inches over veggies, (more for a soup, or less for a stew or chowder consistency).  Bring to boil, while scraping bottom to release bits, and reduce heat to low to simmer, cover,  and simmer for 30 minutes to make a nice broth (the vegetables should have nearly disappeared by then so you should now have a thickened consistency).

Add remaining ‘chopped’ veggies (but drain the water from the potatoes and carrots first), corn kernels and corn milk, smoked salmon, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, just until chopped veggies are tender. Check seasoning for salt and pepper, and if too thick add a bit of water at this point.

Remove pot from the heat (because we do not want the half and half to curdle when we add it next), now add the half and half, and fresh parsley. Remove bay leaf and toss.

Serve with prepared and warm french loaf slices that have been cut on the diagonal, and placed alongside your serving bowls of Sweet and Smokey Salmon-Corn Chowder. – Enjoy!