Abercrombie & Feast

Baby, it’s cold outside.  The 6 inches of snow that we got on Tuesday night is rapidly turning into frozen slush and slicks of ice on the sidewalk.  It was -7 when we woke up this morning and there was ice on the inside of our bedroom windows.  The inside, people. 

Despite the fact that I can’t feel the tips of my thumbs for most of the day, I’m kind of loving this weather.  After 4 “winters” in Australia, during which I could generally wear my flip flops whenever I wanted, this feels like a proper winter.  I just want to cuddle and be near fire places.  I want to wear fleece and drink hot tea and eat soup. 

Oh, the soup.  I love soup all the time, every day in every season, but I adore soup when it’s cold.  Having a batch of soup bubbling away in my big red cast iron pot makes me feel warm all over. 

Last night I got my hair cut.  That has nothing to do with the soup, but I thought you might want to know.  As soon as I got home, before pouring a glass of red wine but after taking 37 minutes to get all of my dripping winter gear off in the hall, I put the cast iron pot on the hob.  I chopped some bacon, chopped some onions, boiled some stock and in less than an hour had a sunny yellow cauldron of Corn and Cheddar Chow-dah (Hi, mom!) ready for dinner. 

This soup is ideal for a weekday dinner because it’s fast, it makes enough for leftovers for lunch and it will warm you all the way down to your fleece covered toes.  Enjoy it with a blanket and a fireplace on the side. 

Corn and Cheddar Chowder
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

Serves 4-6

 5-6 slices of streaky bacon, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 chilli, seeds removed, chopped
2 tbs butter
3 tbs plain flour
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 litre chicken stock
2 cups white potatoes, unpeeled and diced
2 1/2 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, grated, plus extra for serving. 

Place a large, heavy stock pan on medium high heat.  Cook the bacon in the olive oil until the bacon is crisp.  Remove the bacon and place it on a plate lined with paper towel (kitchen roll.) 

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, onion and chilli.  Cook for about 7-8 minuted, or until the onion is translucent. 

Stir in the flour, turmeric, salt and pepper.  Cook for about 3 minutes. 

Add the chicken stock and the potatoes.  Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. 

Add 2 cups of the corn to the soup.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Then, using an immersion blender or a regular blender, working in batches, blend the soup until smooth.

Once the soup is smooth add the remaining 1/2 cup of the corn and the cheddar.  Stir these into the soup and allow to cook for about 5-7 mins, until the cheese is all melted and the soup is very hot.

Serve in large bowls with extra cheddar and some of the reserved bacon sprinkled on top.