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Karen Martini's corn, potato and speck chowder

Karen Martini
Karen Martini

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Roasting the potatoes skin-on helps achieve a silky-smooth result. Serve the soup with sour cream, fresh jalapenos and coriander.
Roasting the potatoes skin-on helps achieve a silky-smooth result. Serve the soup with sour cream, fresh jalapenos and coriander.William Meppem

This chowder is silky and rich with a deep corn flavour and slightly smoky accent from the speck and paprika – in short, everything I want in a good chowder. This is just as good without the chicken, but it's an excellent way to use up any leftovers from a roast, leaving the carcass picked clean and ready to make stock.

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Ingredients

  • 2 large Dutch cream potatoes (or similar), scrubbed

  • 3 corn cobs, kernels stripped

  • 250ml full-cream milk

  • 150g speck (or kaiserfleisch), cut into 2cm cubes

  • 50g unsalted butter

  • 1 brown onion, finely diced

  • 2 leeks, white part only, finely sliced into rounds

  • 3 celery stalks, finely diced

  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 5 thyme sprigs

  • salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

  • 3 tsp plain flour

  • 2 litres chicken stock

  • 300g leftover roast chicken, diced (optional)

  • 150g sour cream

  • 100g pickled jalapenos

  • ½ bunch coriander, leaves roughly chopped

Method

  1. Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).

  2. Step 2

    Leaving the skins on, place the whole potatoes on a tray and bake until tender, about 1 hour.

  3. Step 3

    Blitz the corn kernels with the milk in a blender until smooth.

  4. Step 4

    In a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, brown the speck (the fat will render out) until caramelised (about 10 minutes).

  5. Step 5

    Add the butter, onion, leek, celery, garlic and thyme to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Meanwhile, split the potatoes and crumble their flesh into the corn mix. Discard the skins.

  7. Step 7

    Add the paprika and flour to the pan, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, then the corn and potato mix, then the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

  8. Step 8

    Turn the heat to low and add the chicken, if using. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a minute or so to warm the chicken.

  9. Step 9

    Top with sour cream, jalapenos and coriander and serve with crusty bread on the side.

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Karen MartiniKaren Martini is a Melbourne-based chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter. She has a regular column in Good Weekend.

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Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfood/recipes/karen-martinis-corn-potato-and-speck-chowder-20220217-h21sud.html