Chicken Corn Chowder — Warm, Simple, Enough

New Year's Eve 2017. The last night of a year that tried to drown us and didn't. Harvey. Ma's house flooding. Three inches of water in a kitchen she'd cooked in for forty years. Ray and Maria's house destroyed. The neighborhood piled its guts on the curb — carpet, furniture, drywall — and then rebuilt. Because that's what Houston does. You flood, you clean, you cook, you keep going. The kids are with me through New Year's. Tyler drove us all to Ma's for a small gathering — just our family. I sat in the back seat of my own truck while my sixteen-year-old son drove and my mother sat in the front seat giving directions he didn't need to a house he's been going to his whole life. This is the new normal. Ma made banh tet — the Southern Vietnamese version of banh chung, cylindrical instead of square. She'd been making them since the 23rd. The kitchen — her new kitchen, restored after Harvey — smelled right again. Not the old smell, not yet, but getting there. Give it time. Time seasons a kitchen the way it seasons a cast iron pan: slowly, irreversibly, with heat. At midnight I clinked La Croix cans with the kids. Ma was asleep in her chair by 10:30. Linh called from a party and sang "Auld Lang Syne" off-key while Richard laughed in the background. Tyler was texting someone — a girl, I suspect, though he won't confirm. Emma was journaling. Lily was asleep on the couch next to Ma, curled up like a cat (her default position). 2017 was the year Harvey hit and we didn't break. The year Tyler got his permit and his first car. The year Emma started high school and won second place in a cooking competition. The year Lily stopped eating chicken nuggets and started making her own dinner. The year Ma told the grandchildren about the boat. I didn't make a resolution. I made a pot of chao for New Year's Day — warm, simple, enough — and sat at Ma's table and ate it and that was enough. 2018. The year I turn forty-four. The year Tyler turns seventeen. The year Emma turns fifteen. The year Lily turns twelve. The year Ma turns seventy-two. We're all still here. The food is still good. Let's keep going.

Ma’s chao is her recipe to share when she’s ready, and I wouldn’t dream of giving it away here. But the spirit of it — a warm pot of something simple on New Year’s Day, the kind of food that says we’re still here — that’s what this chicken corn chowder is. After Harvey, after the rebuilding, after a year that tried its best to wear us down, I needed a bowl of something that didn’t ask anything of me except to sit down and eat. This is that bowl.

Chicken Corn Chowder

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or a mix)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Chopped chives or green onions for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Leave the drippings in the pot.
2. Sear the chicken. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Add butter to the bacon drippings and sear the chicken on both sides until golden, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
3. Build the base. Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook until softened, about 4–5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute.
4. Simmer. Pour in the chicken broth and stir well. Add the diced potato and 3 cups of the corn kernels. Nestle the seared chicken thighs into the liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
5. Shred and thicken. Remove the chicken thighs and shred with two forks. Meanwhile, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup — just a few pulses to thicken it while leaving plenty of chunks. Stir in the milk, heavy cream, remaining 1 cup of corn, dried thyme, and the shredded chicken.
6. Finish. Heat through on low for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved bacon and chopped chives.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 30g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 680mg