3625. PICKLED CORN-BACON RELISH

yields eight cups 


2 strips bacon
5 ears corn, shucked
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 cup finely diced red onions
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt

 

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Cut the kernels off the corncobs with a sharp knife. Combine the corn, peppers, and red onions in a bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 10 minutes to rinse out some of the starch. Drain. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the corn, peppers, and onions and bring back to a simmer. Transfer the relish to a glass jar. Add the bacon, whole or crumbled, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate. The relish will be ready to eat in 2 days, and it will keep for up to a week.

 

 

bacon recipe source: Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen by Edward Lee (Artisan Books, 2013); Cooking Channel TV

2979. FRIED CHICKEN with CHILI and BACON POPCORN

serves four


150 grams bread crumbs
100 grams polenta
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
125 grams plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
4 x 175 grams chicken breasts cut into 3 long strips
oil, for deep-frying 

For the popcorn
90 grams butter
1 bird's eye red chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
100 grams smoked bacon lardons, fried
2 tablespoons oil
100 grams popping corn

To serve: coleslaw and pickled gherkins

To make the coating, mix the breadcrumbs, polenta, spices and sesame seeds in a bowl. Then put the flour and eggs in two more separate bowls. Coat the chicken in flour, then in egg and finally in the breadcrumb mix. Deep fry at 160°C for about 8 minutes until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen paper. To make the popcorn, melt the butter, chilli and spices together, then cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan. Add the popping corn and put on the lid. Start to shake the pan gently when you can hear the kernels popping and continue to shake gently until they stop. Take the corn off the heat and stir in the chilli bacon butter. Serve the popcorn with the chicken, coleslaw and pickled gherkins.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Simon Rimmer, Sunday Brunch, Channel 4

2747. YELLOWTAIL TARTAR with BACON and TANGERINE DRESSING

yields four servings


Bacon and Tangerine Dressing:
3 tangerines, zested and juiced
1 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

Crostini:
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 baguette, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yellowtail Tartar:
1 pound yellowtail tuna, 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, picked and chopped
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon chipotle puree
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 shallot, brunoised
1/2 lemon, juiced
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bull's blood, for garnish
Chervil, for garnish

Special Equipment: 2 1/2-inch ring mold

Note: Bull's blood is a variety of heirloom beet, typically grown and used for its dark purple leaves.

For the bacon and tangerine dressing: Strain the tangerine juice through a mesh strainer into a small saute pan. Bring the juice to a simmer and reduce to a syrup consistency, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon in a little olive oil until crispy, about 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving the fat from the pan in a small bowl.
Whisk together the mustard, 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat, the tangerine zest and the tangerine reduction in a small bowl.

For the crostini: Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Toast the fennel seeds in a small saute pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes, and then grind in a spice grinder. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with a little olive oil and season generously with salt, black pepper and ground fennel seed. Grill until the bread is toasted, 3 minutes per side. Remove and reserve.

For the tartar: Combine the yellowtail, parsley, capers, vinegar, mustard, chipotle puree, scallions, thyme, shallots, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil in a large bowl. Adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. Plate with the ring mold.

Drizzle some of the dressing around the plate and garnish with reserved bacon pieces. Dress the bull's blood and chervil with some of the vinaigrette, season with salt and black pepper, and use to garnish the tartar. Serve with the crostini on the side.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bobby Flay, "Worst to First: The Final Battle," Worst Cookes in America, Food Network

2655. TROTTOLE PASTA with SPINACH, BACON and TOMATOES

1 large bag of fresh spinach
6 slices of bacon
1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic
fennel seeds
dried basil, or fresh if you have it on hand
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb. trottole, cooked al dente

Boil large pot of water to cook pasta. Take bacon, cut into small pieces and cook in a deep skillet until nicely crisped. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Drop some of the bacon fat into the water for your pasta. Discard remaining bacon fat except for what you would normally use to sautee. Brown chopped garlic, then add diced tomatoes. Season with fennel seeds, basil, salt and pepper. Let simmer for a few minutes. Don’t let it caramelize. When water comes to a boil, cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, drop spinach into a colander. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it into the spinach-filled colander. This should nicely wilt your spinach. Toss gently. Return the drained pasta and spinach to your pot and add the crispy bacon bits. Do a little more gentle tossing. Spoon up your pasta into your favorite pasta bowl, put a few generous spoonfuls of your sauce on it and top with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Mag Lu Tayo!—Esmilla Family Recipes, February 28, 2011

2280. CABBAGE with BACON and SAKE

serves four


1 onion, chopped in long strips
¼ cabbage
150 grams free-range or wild bacon, chopped into pieces
1 teaspoon fennel seed
¼ cup sake
ground pepper
pinch salt

Fry bacon without any oil. It gives off enough tasty fat to fry the other ingredients in. Add onion and fennel and cook on medium heat until the onion is soft. Add Cabbage and all other ingredients. Put the lid on and steam until the cabbage is just tender.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Roger and Anna Wilde, Nelson, New Zealand, WildHealthFood.com

2021. SPICY BRAISED BACON with SPAGNA BEANS and TREVISO RADICCHIO

serves six


2 cups Spagna beans or cannellini beans
1 head garlic, split, plus 8 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 russet potato, peeled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 heads Treviso radicchio, sliced
12 slices spicy braised bacon, plus some of the braising liquid (recipe below)

Cooking the beans is a 2-day process. Soak the beans in enough water to cover them overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, strain and rinse the beans. Place them in a pot large enough to cover with 6 cups of water and add the split head of garlic, the carrot, celery, and potato. The peeled potato will soften the skin on the beans so that they don't burst when they are cooking. Cook over low heat for about 2 hours, until tender. Remove from the heat, then remove the vegetables and discard them. Season the beans with salt and black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Transfer to the beans to a clean pot and slowly warm them over medium-low heat. Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the sliced garlic. Once the garlic becomes aromatic, add the radicchio. Cook until wilted, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.

Divide the beans among 6 warm bowls, then place several slices of the braised bacon in each bowl and spoon some warm braising liquid over the top. Drape the radicchio over the bacon, drizzle olive oil on top, and serve.

NOTES: Spagna beans are Italian beans with long, green, slightly curved broad pods containing 5 to 6 large white beans. They are sometimes called butter beans. The Spagna beans here require two days of preparation, so be sure to plan ahead. You can use cannellini beans if Spagna beans are hard to find.

Treviso is one type of radicchio. It is red in color, with an elongated shape similar to endive, and it has a slightly bitter flavor. You may substitute it with any radicchio available in your market.


Spicy Braised Bacon

makes two pounds

1 meaty boneless pork belly (about 2 lb.), skinned
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon crushed red chili flakes
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Kosher salt
vegetable oil, for sauteing
1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
1 fennel head, quartered
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
a few sprigs of rosemary
a few springs of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups San Marzano (plum) tomatoes
2 cups white wine
2 gallons pork or beef stock

Portion the pork belly into 6 equal-size pieces. In a spice grinder, combine the black pepper, chili flakes, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds and finely grind them. Season the pork belly with salt, then rub with the spice rub. Let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, carrot, celery, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves and saute for about 20 minutes. Once the vegetables are caramelized, add the tomatoes, cook for 25 minutes, then deglaze with the white wine. Once the liquid is reduced by three-quarters, add the pork or beef stock and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare a grill to cook over direct high heat. Grill the pork belly until it begins to render some of its fat and becomes dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, and turn and repeat.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Stir the vegetables well and then strain the braising liquid into a bowl; discard the vegetables. Transfer the pork belly to a nonreactive ovenproof pan and cover it with the reserved braising liquid. Bake until tender, about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

NOTE: Tightly sealed cured bacon keeps in the refrigerator for up to a month.


Spicy Braised Bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef/Owner Chris Cosentino, Boccalone, Boccalone Salumeria, Ferry Building Marketplace, Shop #21, San Francisco, California 94111 | I Love Bacon! by Jayne Rockmill, p. 4. Andrew McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2010

main recipe courtesy of: Chris Cosentino, Incanto, 1550 Church Street, San Francisco, California 94131, 415-641-4500 | I Love Bacon! by Jayne Rockmill, p. 4. Andrew McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2010

1839. GERMAN FENNEL and BACON SOUP

makes six servings


1 large fennel bulb (about 1½ pounds)
2 ounces double-smoked slab bacon, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon aniseed
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream

Remove, rinse, and dry the feathery fennel tops, chop them moderately fine, and reserve ½ cup of them. Discard any discolored fennel stalks, coarsely chop the remaining stalks, and set aside.

In a large pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat till crisp and drain on paper towels. Melt the butter in the bacon fat, add the onion, chopped fennel stalks, potato, fennel seeds, aniseed, bay leaf, and nutmeg and stir about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and steam about 15 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook till the vegetables are very soft, about 1½ hours. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Cool the mixture, then, in batches, purée it in a food processor.

Return the mixture to the pot, add the salt, pepper, and cream, and bring to a low simmer. Stir in the fennel tops and bacon, then ladle the hot soup into soup plates or bowls.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bacon Cookbook: More than 150 Recipes from Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food by James Villas. Wiley, 2007

1639. CRAB-AND-CORN CHOWDER with BACON and CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS

makes 6 to 8 servings


6 ears fresh yellow corn
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
3 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 medium)
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 3/4 pounds white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
6 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons dry Sherry
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 pound fresh crabmeat
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cut kernels off corn cobs. Set kernels aside. Combine cobs, broth, and cream in heavy large saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons pan drippings; add onion, leeks, celery, and fennel seeds to pot. Sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in potatoes. Discard cobs from cream mixture; strain cream mixture into potato mixture. Simmer until potatoes are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in corn kernels. Simmer chowder until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in Sherry and thyme. Add mushroom mixture to chowder. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sauté crabmeat in same large skillet over medium-low heat just until heated through, about 3 minutes. Divide crabmeat, reserved bacon, and parsley among bowls. Ladle chowder over and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bon Appétit, January 2003

1508. FIVE SPICE CRUSTED SALMON with SAUERKRAUT, IRISH BACON and CARAWAY SEEDS

makes 4 to 6 servings


Sauerkraut:
1/2 pound Irish bacon
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 large onion, peeled and sliced very thinly
1 plum tomato, chopped, with seeds and skin
2 pounds sauerkraut, drained if necessary
12 ounces lager beer

In a large sauce pan sweat the bacon, caraway seeds and onions for five to seven minutes or until soft, but not colored. Add the tomato, sauerkraut and beer and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cook, covered for one hour. Let cool and reserve until needed. It will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week without spoiling.


Salmon:
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1/4 cup black onion seeds
1/4 cup black mustard seeds
4 to 6 pieces of salmon fillet, about 6 ounces each, skin on, cut from the center portion
1/4 cup vegetable oil, such as canola oil

Blend each spice briefly in a blender to break up, but not pulverize to a powder. Mix all of them well together in a bowl.

Wet each piece of salmon with water on the skin side. Dredge each piece, skin side down, in the spice mix. Set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat a heavy saute pan or skillet. Add the oil and then add the salmon pieces, skin side down and cover with a tight fitting lid. Let them cook for four minutes on one side only, for rare fish. Cook longer if desired. Uncover the pan and remove the fish to paper towels to drain.

Serve with the hot sauerkraut.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Sara Moulton | Gourmet

1375. SHRIMP, CHICKEN and BACON in a POT

makes six servings


1/4 lb bacon; cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 lb chicken breast
12 raw jumbo shrimp
5 cups fish stock or chicken broth
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons finely minced onion
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon aniseed or fennel seed
3 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon dried tarragon leaves
2 cups broccoli florets
3/4 cups milk
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Set a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven on the stove over low heat and cook the bacon, stirring, for 2 minutes without browning. Add the white wine, increase heat to high, bring to a boil and cook 1 minute to burn off the alcohol. Add the chicken, shrimp, broth, garlic, onions, celery seed and aniseed and decrease heat to medium. If using dried tarragon, add it now. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and milk and cook, uncovered, another 2 minutes. Taste the soup for salt and pepper and add as desired. To serve, use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon, chicken, shrimp and broccoli to soup bowls. Return the broth to a boil and add the butter. Turn off heat and add the chopped fresh tarragon leaves. Serve the soup in a tureen and ladle it into the garnished bowls at the table.


courtesy of: Big Oven

1366. PLUM, BACON and AMARANTH CHICKEN

yields eight servings


1 slice bacon, diced
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup dry amaranth grain (can also use quinoa)
2 cups chicken stock (or water)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup pitted and smashed plums (with skin)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh fennel seed, grinded
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 star anise (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large pan on the stovetop, saute one fat slice of bacon over medium heat, allowing it to "sweat" out its flavor and fat. When a thin layer of oil is present, add the chicken thighs-- let cook on one side for 10 minutes and flip.

Add onions, garlic, and plums and mix with chicken. Saute together and let cook for 10 minutes or until onions are glossy.

Add stock, water, vinegar, salt, pepper, fennel seed, star anise (which you don't want to eat, you just add it for flavor), cloves, and amaranth. Cover pan and turn up heat to high. When rapidly boiling, remove pan from stovetop and transfer to the oven. Let cook for 60 minutes, until amaranth is soft.


courtesy of: Spark Recipes, SparkPeople Inc.

823. CHICKEN and FENNEL PIE with BACON-BISCUIT CRUST

serves 6 as a main course


For filling
4 cups water
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 large whole chicken breast (about 1 pound)
1 chicken leg (about 1/2 pound)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 small fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise; about 1 pound)
3 carrots
1 medium boiling potato
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For crust
6 bacon slices
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon whole milk

Make filling: In a 4- to 5-quart heavy kettle combine water, broth, chicken breast and leg, peppercorns, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Simmer mixture, covered, until breast is just cooked through, about 12 minutes, and transfer breast with tongs to a bowl. Simmer mixture 5 minutes more, or until leg is just cooked through, and transfer leg with tongs to bowl. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat in large pieces, discarding skin and bones, and put in a large bowl. Pour broth through a fine sieve into a bowl and return to cleaned kettle. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulbs, discarding stalks, and halve bulbs lengthwise. Thinly slice fennel crosswise and cut carrots into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Thinly slice onion. Simmer vegetables in broth until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, and with a slotted spoon add to chicken. Measure out 2 cups stock and reserve remainder for another use. Mince garlic and finely chop parsley. Add garlic, parsley, and fennel seeds to chicken mixture.

In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes and whisk in 2 cups stock in a stream. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking, and simmer sauce, whisking, 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and pour over chicken mixture, stirring gently to combine. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely before being chilled, covered. Reheat filling before proceeding. Spoon filling into a 12-inch (10-cup) round baking dish.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Make crust: Chop bacon and in a heavy skillet cook over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat, and mince.

Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add cream, bacon, and reserved fat and with a fork stir until mixture just forms a dough. Gather dough into a ball and on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out into a 12 1/2-inch round (about 1/2 inch thick). Trim dough to create a 12-inch round and with a large knife cut dough into 12 wedges. Arrange wedges on filling in overlapping pairs. In a small bowl whisk together yolk and milk and lightly brush onto crust.

Bake pie in middle of oven until crust is puffed and golden and filling is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve pie warm.


courtesy of: Gourmet, November 1998

149. FILLET of MOI (THREAD FISH) with BACON, CELERY ROOT PUREE and FRICASSE of FENNEL, PARSLEY ESSENCE

2 pieces moi, thread fish, fillet, scales on
1 piece celery root, peeled, cleaned, diced
1 cup milk
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Maui onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup slab bacon, cut into fine julienne
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bulb fennel, finely sliced
1/2 cup parsley, curly, leaves only
sea salt & pepper, to taste

On low heat, sautee the moi in olive oil on the skin side for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat up until the scales become crispy. Sautee the moi on the other side for 30 seconds. Do not overcook the fish. Season to taste.

Cover the celery root with milk and simmer for 15 minutes, season the process in a blender until smoother consistency. Add 2 Tbs. of olive oil and season.

Sautee the julienne of bacon until crispy, add the onion, the fennel and fennel seeds, sautee until translucent, add the white wine and simmer for 8 minutes. Season and reserve.

In the food processor or a blender, blend the parsley to a smooth paste, add the olive oil, salt and pepper and process together for 2 minutes.

On the center of the plate arrange 1/2 c. of celery root then the sauteed fennel, put 2 fillets of moi per serving on the top. Surround with the essence of parsley.


courtesy of: Chef Mavro of Chef Mavro Restaurant, Honolulu, Hawaii

95. CRAB-AND-CORN CHOWDER with BACON and CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS

makes six to eight servings


6 ears fresh yellow corn
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
3 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 medium)
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 3/4 pounds white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
6 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons dry Sherry
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 pound fresh crabmeat
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cut kernels off corn cobs. Set kernels aside. Combine cobs, broth, and cream in heavy large saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons pan drippings; add onion, leeks, celery, and fennel seeds to pot. Sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in potatoes. Discard cobs from cream mixture; strain cream mixture into potato mixture. Simmer until potatoes are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in corn kernels. Simmer chowder until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in Sherry and thyme. Add mushroom mixture to chowder. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sauté crabmeat in same large skillet over medium-low heat just until heated through, about 3 minutes. Divide crabmeat, reserved bacon, and parsley among bowls. Ladle chowder over and serve.


courtesy of: Bon Appétit, January 2003