Corn Bacon and Shrimp Chowder

Corn and Bacon Chowder with Shrimp

You start with chicken broth and add some diced Yukon Gold Potatoes, Carrots and Leeks and Celery.  Bring them to a boil and cook up 6 strips of bacon in a separate skillet.  Remove bacon onto paper towel to cool.  In the bacon grease add a frozen package of yellow and white corn--but let grease cool a little so as not to create a grease splatter fest!  Also add a tablespoon of minced garlic and simmer for 5 minutes or so before adding the garlic and corn to the soup mix.  Do this in a way that conserves the bacon fat in the skillet as best as possible.  Let the soup mixture cook for about 30 minutes together and add into it a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.  Salt to taste.

Scoop out 2 cups of the mixture into a blender and puree.  Remove the center cap in the lid and mix while adding 3/4 cup of heavy cream in blender.  Add this back to the rest of the soup and stir well heating on low.

Cook shrimp in bacon grease turning until orange and translucent -- about 6 minutes.  Add shrimp (three or four per bowl) to bowl, crumble bacon over shrimp, and then ladle corn chowder soup over shrimp/bacon and garnish with fresh chives.

Seems like a lot of work, but OMG, it's so worth it!