A week of soups - Bacon, Potato & Corn Chowder

I have been making this soup for Christmas Eve dinner for at least 12 years.

It all started with our good friends and neighbors, Doug and Pam. We both had babies and no plans for Christmas Eve so we thought it would be fun to cook fresh crab. Thirteen years later—many of which included my Mom and Pam's Mom, subsequent children, more good friends and neighbors Chris, Jennifer and their kids, and Jennifer's wonderful parents, Margaret and Bill—we all still get together to cook fresh crab and lobster (to honor Dougie's CT roots) and our Christmas Eve still starts with this soup. And Doug's DELICIOUS fresh-baked Doug-Bread. It usually ends in a gingerbread house-building competition and many collapsing gingerbread houses. And someone nearly pees their pants laughing.

Having only made it once a year for many many years, my family has insisted recently that I make it more often, so in the last two years it has become a Winter staple.

Bacon, Potato & Corn Chowder (this will serve four, I usually triple it for a crowd)

1/2 pound of bacon (I prefer it sliced thin, GG Meats at the SF Ferry Building will do it, but use what you like)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
(At least) five sprigs fresh thyme
4 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch or so cubes
Water
1 pint organic half and half
1 cup whole milk, lowfat could work
1 bag of frozen organic corn
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a cast iron skillet. Drain and chop, set aside.

Pour the bacon grease into a heavy-bottom soup pot and add onion. Saute until very soft being careful not to burn the, a little brown and caramelizy is ok. Add the Thyme and potatoes and enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer the potatoes until fork tender, maybe 10 minutes? Fish out the Thyme stems, by now the little leaves should have all fallen off into the soup.

You can make this ahead of time and stop here. Cool completely and refrigerate or freeze.

If you are serving immediately, add the half and half and milk, and the corn. Rewarm gently being careful that the bottom doesn't burn (trust me I have made this mistake after a few too many Christmas Eve Chardonnays). Season with generous salt and pepper.

Mix in the chopped bacon OR serve it on the side as garnish.

The original recipe called for cooked/shelled crab to be added just before serving. I don't do that because our next course is usually a table full of crab and lobster, but the husb mixed in some leftover crab Christmas Day and said it was great.

I have a better recipe for that leftover crab, though. Stay tuned.