Enjoying the summer bounty of Maine … with the exception of the bacon and the cream, everything in this chowder came from my garden, the farmer’s market or the lobster shack at the end of the pier in Surry Maine. It’s summery, light and simply delicious.
Ingredients
3 cups baby waxy potatoes, diced to 1/2 inch (I used multicolored). Do not peel
6 lardons bacon, diced
1 leek, diced to 1/4 inch, carefully washed
3 medium carrots, diced to 1/4 inch
1 bay leaf
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups fish or seafood stock
2 cups heavy cream
6 cups corn kernels, scraped fresh from the cob (this was about 8 ears of corn)
1 cup fresh peas
1 1/2 cups picked cooked lobster mean (this was about 4 “pound and a quarter” softies)
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced (optional)
Note: this serves a crowd!
Directions
In a small pan, set the potatoes to boil until tender. Once done, strain through a colander and set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed dutch over, render the bacon until you have crispy bacon bits. Remove the bacon from the grease and set aside for garnish. To the remaining bacon fat, add the leeks and carrots. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the leeks are caramelized and the carrots are slightly soft to the touch. Sprinkle in the herbs de Provence and salt and pepper, then the flour. Cook two minutes, stirring constantly. First stir in about half a cup of the broth and once the mixture starts to become gluey, add in the remainder of the broth. Add the bay leaf and corn and simmer for approximately 12-15 minutes before adding the cream. Finally add the lobster meat, cooked potatoes and peas, and simmer soup, for about three to five additional minutes.
Adjust the soup seasonings to taste and remove the bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls and you can top fresh parsley (optional) and bacon bits.
