Smoked bacon, leek and butter bean chowder

Name: Smoked bacon, leek and butter bean chowder
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 50g butter; 350g leeks, thickly sliced; 200g British free-range smoked bacon lardons/strips; 1 tsp olive oil; 1 small onion, chopped; 1 litre Jersey, Guernsey or full-cream milk; 2 bay leaves; 50g plain flour; 200ml good quality chicken stock; 2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed; 100ml single or double cream; 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Easy
April 2016

Easy
April 2016

Serves 8
Hands-on time 45 min

Crusty bread is essential when tucking in to Debbie Major’s hearty chowder recipe made using Jersey milk, smoked bacon, butter beans and leeks.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 325kcals
Fat: 19.4g (10.4g saturated)
Protein: 14.3g
Carbohydrates: 20.2g (7.6g sugars)
Fibre: 6g
Salt: 1.1g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 325kcals
Fat: 19.4g (10.4g saturated)
Protein: 14.3g
Carbohydrates: 20.2g (7.6g sugars)
Fibre: 6g
Salt: 1.1g

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Ingredients

50g butter
350g leeks, thickly sliced
200g British free-range smoked bacon lardons/strips
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 litre Jersey, Guernsey or full-cream milk
2 bay leaves
50g plain flour
200ml good quality chicken stock
2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
100ml single or double cream
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

50g butter
350g leeks, thickly sliced
200g British free-range smoked bacon lardons/strips
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 litre Jersey, Guernsey or full-cream milk
2 bay leaves
50g plain flour
200ml good quality chicken stock
2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
100ml single or double cream
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

Melt half the butter in a large pan. Add the sliced leeks, stir well to coat with butter and season lightly. Cover and cook gently for 3 minutes until just tender and still bright green. Tip the leeks into a bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to a medium heat, add the bacon lardons and oil, then fry gently until the lardons have released some of their fat. Increase the heat to high and fry a little more briskly until lightly golden. Add the rest of the butter and the onion to the pan, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the onion is soft but not browned. Meanwhile, gently heat the milk and bay leaves together in a separate pan.
Stir the flour into the bacon and onions, then cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock, then stir in the warm milk and bring almost to the boil. Add the butter beans and season to taste, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the leeks and cream, then bring back to a simmer. Stir in the parsley and season to taste. Serve in bowls with fresh homemade bread.

Method

Melt half the butter in a large pan. Add the sliced leeks, stir well to coat with butter and season lightly. Cover and cook gently for 3 minutes until just tender and still bright green. Tip the leeks into a bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to a medium heat, add the bacon lardons and oil, then fry gently until the lardons have released some of their fat. Increase the heat to high and fry a little more briskly until lightly golden. Add the rest of the butter and the onion to the pan, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the onion is soft but not browned. Meanwhile, gently heat the milk and bay leaves together in a separate pan.
Stir the flour into the bacon and onions, then cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock, then stir in the warm milk and bring almost to the boil. Add the butter beans and season to taste, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the leeks and cream, then bring back to a simmer. Stir in the parsley and season to taste. Serve in bowls with fresh homemade bread.

delicious. tips

The chowder will keep in a sealed container for up to 48 hours in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer. Defrost, then heat gently to warm through. Sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.

Recipe By

Debbie Major

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