Lobster, Corn, & Bacon Chowder - We Love It

If you like lobster, bacon, and chowder, try this fantastic and relatively easy recipe at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Corn-and-Lobster-Chowder-107469.

The recipe as posted at epicurious.com serves 8. Since there were only three of us, I cut the recipe in half except for the bacon. The following is the recipe for eight.

Ingredients

- Two 10-ounce, uncooked frozen lobster tails, thawed, or 1 pound freshly cooked lobster meat cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 cups frozen yellow corn kernels (about 2 & 1/4 pounds), thawed
- 3 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 8 bacon slices, chopped
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 3/4 cup peeled, finely-diced carrots
- 2/3 cup finely diced celery
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups bottled clam juice
- 1 & 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

If using thawed frozen lobster tails, cook in pot of boiling water until almost cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain. Cool. Using kitchen shears, cut lobster shells open. Remove lobster meat. Cut into bite-size pieces. Discard shells.

Purée 4 cups corn with 1 & 1/4 cups broth in food processor until almost smooth.

Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons of drippings from pot.

Add onions to pot and sauté until light golden, about 5 minutes.

Add remaining 4 cups corn and sauté 3 minutes.

Add carrots, celery, and cayenne. Sauté until vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minues.

Add clam juice and 1 & 3/4 cups broth. Simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in corn purée and whipping cream. Simmer 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

(Lobster, bacon, and soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill lobster and bacon separately. Cool soup slightly. Chill uncovered until cold. Then cover and keep chilled. Before continuing, bring bacon to room temperature and bring soup to simmer.)

Remove soup from heat. Stir in sour cream.

Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add lobster meat and sauté just until heated through - about 2 minutes.

Ladle soup in bowls. Garnish each serving with lobster pieces, bacon, and chives. Serve.