Earlier this week, on yet another day pouring rain in the Pacific Northwest (yep, I’m whining – so sue me) I was standing in line at this funky, wooden-floored, backwoods, custom cutter butcher I found about 20 minutes from home, holding onto my little paper number like it was Wonka’s Golden Ticket.
The shop is a carnivore’s heaven, with what must be 40 feet of shoulder high, glass cases filled to the brim with just about every fresh cut of beef, pork and chicken known to man along with a bevy of local and regional charcuterie.
My mouth watering like Pavlov’s dog and distracted to the point of almost not being to remember the two items on my list, further concentration was shattered by the cart of literally-just-out-of-the-smoker whole chickens they rolled by in front of us.
My mind first flashed to John Belushi ordering two whole (fried) chickens at the Soul Food Cafe in The Blues Brothers then on to a scrolling mental list of different ways to devour smoked chickens.
I didn’t buy any smoked chicken that day, preferring to run ‘em through our smoker at home, but finally dug this recipe for Smoked Chicken Corn Chowder out of the files for tonight.
It’s classic bacon-anchored chowder goodness, replete with a generous helping of spuds and cream (or half and half), but the chiles, corn, cheese and chicken add a new chowder twist you’ll come back to again before it’s summer.
5 slices bacon, crisped and crumbled
3 medium onions, chopped
2 medium to large baking potatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 fresh serrano chiles, seeded, minced
1/4 cup AP flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream or half and half
1 cup seeded and chopped roma tomatoes (3-4) OR 1 can Rotel tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn (fresh is better, but not any time soon)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2-3 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped fine
1 medium smoked chicken, skin, fat and bones removed, cut into medium dice
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Sauté time. Sauté the bacon over medium high heat in your trusty dutch oven until crisp; remove, drain and cool. Turn the heat down to medium, add the onions to the bacon renderings and stir for 5-6 minutes until soft.
Eat a piece of bacon because you can.
Add some goodies. Add the spuds, garlic, serrano chilies stir for a minute; add the flour and stir for 2 until the vegetables are well coated and the flour is just beginning to color.
Make a chowder. Whisk 2 cups of the broth and the cream (half and half); turn up the heat to medium high. Now add the corn, tomatoes, cheese, chipotle chiles and chicken. Bring just up to the point of boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, thinning to your desired consistency with the remaining broth.
Serve it up. Taste for salt and pepper, season as needed. Ladle it up, garnish with a bit of cilantro and bacon crumbles.
Enjoy.
