Turkey and Sweetcorn Chowder

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Cooked turkey, sweetcorn kernels and diced new potatoes with onion, carrot and hints of garlic, all served in a rich broth made from turkey stock, milk and cream and thickened with a roux. This silky, smooth soup is ridiculously delicious and a wonderful dish to use those final turkey scraps and turn them into a delicious and fulfilling meal.

A chowder is a soup or stew with a creamy, thickened broth made with milk and cream. There are many variations of this dish and much debate about its origins. There are references in England and France going back over 300 years ago. It is now most commonly associated with the New England area in the USA and it is believed it came over with the immigrants. New England Clam Chowder is an absolute classic but there are many variations using ingredients such as chicken, prawn, ham, seafood, crayfish, smoked haddock, cod, scallop crab, halibut to name just a few.

How to make Turkey and Sweetcorn Chowder

Collect the ingredients together:

• unsalted butter
• smoked streaky bacon, chopped
• onion, peeled and finely chopped
• carrots, peeled or washed and finely chopped
• cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• plain/all-purpose flour
• turkey or chicken stock – I made this using the turkey bones and reduced it down to increase the flavour. It was based on my Chicken Stock recipe but I increased the number of onions and carrots.
• milk
• bay leaf
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• new potatoes, chopped into small dice – no need to peel
• sweetcorn kernels – fresh, frozen or tinned
• turkey, chopped into small cubes
• fresh cream

Toppings:

• crispy fried bacon
• chopped parsley
• thinly sliced spring onions
• drizzle of fresh cream

How to make the Turkey and Sweetcorn Chowder:

1. Melt a quarter of the butter in the casserole dish over a moderately hot heat and cook the bacon until crispy.
2. Remove from the pan into a bowl lined with kitchen paper.
3. Add the remaining butter along with the chopped onion and carrots and cook for around 5 minutes until softened and slightly caramelised.
4. Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for a further minute.
5. Now add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the stock and milk all at once and stir well until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
7. Add the chopped potatoes, bay leaf and salt and cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
8. Then add the sweetcorn and cook for a further 5 minutes.
9. Stir in the turkey and cream and stir to mix. Adjust seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
10. Serve with chunks of warm fresh bread, in warmed bowls garnished with the crispy bacon, sliced spring onions, chopped parsley and a drizzle of cream.

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Vegetarian Chowder with Nut Loaf and Sweetcorn

My younger daughter is a vegetarian. I made the cowder in exactly the same way, apart from:

1. I replaced the turkey with the remaining chopped Nut Loaf from her Christmas meal
2. I used vegetable stock instead of turkey stock.
3. Everything else is the same, although I garnished the vegetarian soup with the chopped Nut Roast rather than the crispy bacon.

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