Corn Chowder with Cheddar

Ingredients:

• 220 g bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 cups chopped onion (4 large heads)
• 55 g unsalted butter
• 0.5 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 12 cups chicken broth
• 6 cups white boiling potatoes, cut into medium cubes, unpeeled (1 kg)
• 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 cobs) or frozen (1.3 kg)
• 2 cups low-fat cream 10%
• 220 g grated sharp cheddar, white

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, fry the bacon in olive oil until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and butter to the fat in the pan, and fry for 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
2. Add flour, salt, black pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water (if using frozen corn, you can skip this step). Drain.
3. Add the corn to the soup, then add the cream and cheddar. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chowder hot, sprinkled with bacon.