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what emily cooks

navigating the culinary arts as a cook, traveler, eater

Three Onion Chowder

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This chowder involves quite a bit of chopping: onions, leeks, garlic, shallot, celery, chives, and potatoes.  To save myself some time, I bought celery from the Whole Foods salad bar; when a recipe calls for so little, I never seem to find a solution to use up the left-over celery.  Another time saver is the Trader Joe's four ounce packages of cubed pancetta - I keep it in the freezer and throw the cubes into the pan without thawing.  Once all ingredients were chopped and ready to go into the pot, time flew by -- including the 30 minute waiting time with the heat turned off, the chowder took under an hour to make.  

Three Onion Chowder
serves 4-6 people adapted from Food52 

1 tablespoon butter
3 ounces pancetta, 1/4 inch dice
2 cups yellow onion, peeled and julienned
1 large leek, rinsed, white parts only, sliced into half moons
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup celery, 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup chicken stock + 1 cup water
2 cups half and half
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 dice
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

In a three quart Dutch oven, add the butter and pancetta and place it over medium heat to render the pancetta. Once some of the fat has been released add the onions, shallot and celery. Saute until almost golden. Add the leeks, garlic and thyme. Cook until the leeks are just becoming soft. Add the bay leaf, chicken stock, and water. Bring it to a boil and add the half and half and the potatoes. Bring the soup back to a boil and then immediately turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow it to rest for at least thirty minutes.

To finish the soup reheat it but don't let it boil. Taste a potato to check and see if it is done and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If the potatoes are not done then cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the chives and then ladle into cups or bowls.
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