Smoked bacon, leek and butter bean chowder

Method

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.