Chicken, Corn, and Green Chile Chowder

August 23, 2011

This chicken, corn, and chile chowder is a hearty one pot meal. This recipe is unique because 1 cup of corn is pureed with the milk for the chowder base, adding texture and flavor. The sweetness of the corn balances the spiciness of the green chiles. If you are unable to find Hatch green chiles, use Anaheim chiles or canned green chiles- either one will work. I would serve this chowder with a nice chunk of sourdough bread for dipping.

Chicken, Corn, and Chile Chowder

Ingredients:

1 boneless chicken breast or 2 boneless chicken thighs (or use leftover cooked
3 cups slices bacon
1 medium onion, small dice
3 cups corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
2 stalks celery, small dice
2 smalls carrots, dice
3 cups milk
2 mediums to large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon salt (more if you want)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup roasted, peeled and chopped Hatch green chiles (use less if you want it mild)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Olive oil

Directions:

Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper and saute in a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook through, remove the meat, chop into cubes and set aside. Fry the bacon over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon and when cool, break it into small bits. Stir in the onion into the remaining bacon drippings, cook for about 3 minutes. Add the celery and the carrots, cooking for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Puree 1 cup of the corn with 1 cup of milk in a blender. Pour this mixture into the pan with the veggies, then add the remaining milk, the potatoes, 1/2 cup of chicken broth and 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the dutch oven and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender (about 10-15 minutes). Stir in the cream, corn and the green chile. If you want thinner chowder, add the remaining broth. Add the cooked chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the scallions and the reserved bacon.