Neely's Spicy Corn Chowder

Fall is in the air and I found myself reminiscing about our progressive supper last year! I wish I could recreate the whole event, but I'm going to settle for cooking up the corn chowder I made for my portion of the evening. I never added it to the blog so here it is!

Ingredients

* 4 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
* 1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
* 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 small jalapeno, chopped seeds and ribs removed
* 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 2 large red potatoes, well scrubbed and small diced
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 16 ounces frozen corn
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 bay leaf

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute the bacon until crisp and browned and the fat is rendered. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel and reserve. There should be about 4 tablespoons of bacon grease in pan.

Add the onions and red pepper to pan. Saute until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the jalapeno and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Cook the flour until it reaches a slight blonde color, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken stock and the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes; potatoes will become soft. Add the cream, corn, cayenne and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon.