Ingredients

  • 8 ears corn shucked
  • 8 strips of bacon chopped
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 ribs celery finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 6 cups milk
  • 11/2 lbs. new potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup basil for garnish

Method

  • Cut and scrape corn off the cobb. Halve 5 cobbs crosswise.
  • Heat the bacon in 6 qt. pot and cook til crisp. Reserve 3 tbsp if using for garnish.
  • Add butter, thyme, garlic, celery, onions and bay leaf. Cover and cook until onions soften about 6 minutes. Add the corn, cobbs,milk and potatoes. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender about 25 minutes. Skim foam, discard cobbs and bay leaf. Transfer 11/2 cups to blender and puree. Stir puree into chowder to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and garnish as desired.