Corn, bacon and wild-rice chowder recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour 35 minutes

SERVES

Six

INGREDIENTS

• 75g wild rice

• 2 ears of corn

• Knob of butter (about 10g)

• 250g big chunks of bacon or pancetta

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 stick celery, diced

• 1 litre well-flavoured chicken stock (preferably home-made)

• 300g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks about 2cm square

• 175ml double cream

• 2 tbsp chopped chives

METHOD

1. Cover the wild rice with water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for about 35 minutes. It won’t soften like regular rice but will retain its nuttiness.

2. Remove the kernels from the ears by standing each one in a bowl and slicing them off with a sharp knife in strips from top to bottom. Work your way round each ear.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the bacon until the pieces are well coloured all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Add the corn to the pan. Cook for another five minutes, turning the kernels over in the fat and allowing them  to toast nicely.

5. Add the onion and celery  to the pan and cook until  soft but not coloured –  about 12 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil.  Season lightly.

6. Turn the heat down to medium and leave to simmer for 10 minutes, then add the potatoes and bacon and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender – approximately another  15 minutes.

7. Add the cream and bring to the boil again. Turn down  to a vigorous simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes. You can mash some of the potatoes – just press them with the back of a wooden spoon – if you want to thicken the chowder.

8. Drain the wild rice, rinse it under boiling water, add it to the pan with the chives and heat through. Check the seasoning and serve.