Spicy Corn Chowder

Let me start with it was a bit of work.  Mostly the work is getting corn off 10 cobs, and normally I would say if you want a short cut, try frozen, but the original recipe says that fresh is essential.  It was totally worth the work!  (click here for a fast way of getting all the silk off corn on the cob)  We all loved it.  I do have some recommendations if you make this.  First of all, the bacon topping was really enough for about half the soup because this makes quite a bit.  My husband shredded up some deli ham on his second bowl.  The chipotle powder only adds spice at the end of the bite, the soup doesn't taste very spicy, so I suggest you do what we did, and let everyone spice theirs up individually.  (my son turned his pink with sriracha!)  Also, have extra of the broth and half and half on hand.  It might just have been we had a fairly large potato that sucked up a lot of the liquid, or that it wasn't supposed to have much liquid, but I added additional broth and half and half.  I just kind of eyeballed equal amounts of both and it was pretty close to an additional cup of each.  Also, you are going to need a good bit of salt to season it well, and some liberal shakes of granulated garlic really made a difference. Oh and everything seemed to take longer to cook than stated.  I mostly left the following recipe alone, but I strongly suggest you make the changes we did.  It was amazing!  It was very filling but you wanted to eat more!  The boys had two huge bowls each.  The girl and I had a more reasonable sized one, and we still have two large bowlfuls left.



Spicy Corn Chowder
 
1/2 Lb thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon (6 -slices), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch -pieces
1 medium yellow onion cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 scallions thinly sliced
2 celery ribs cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch d
1 Tsp fresh thyme
5 Cup fresh corn kernels (from 10 medium cobs)
1/2 Tsp pure chipotle chile powder
2 Cup half-and-half (I used closer to 3 cups)
2 Cup lower-salt chicken broth (I used closer to 3 cups)
1 large russet potato peeled and coarsely grated
Kosher salt
Granulated Garlic
Grated white Cheddar for garnish (it says optional but...)
Hot sauce to add heat to taste


Cook the bacon in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot
over medium-high heat until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. With a
slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off
and discard all but 2 Tbs. of the bacon fat.
Return the Dutch oven to medium-high heat and add the onion, half of the
scallions, the celery, bell pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add
the corn and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chipotle
powder and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the half-and-half and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the
grated potato, lower the heat to medium, and cook, covered, until the
potato is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt (and garlic)
and transfer to 4 large soup bowls. Garnish with the reserved bacon and
scallions, and the cheese, if using, and serve.