Creamy Chicken and Sweetcorn Chowder

This chicken and corn chowder uses diced potatoes to give the broth body without a flour roux. Sweetcorn adds small bursts of sweetness, and cream is stirred in at the end. The chicken cooks directly in the broth after the potatoes have had a head start.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 300 g peeled potatoes, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 700 ml chicken broth
• 400 g boneless chicken breast, diced
• 250 g sweetcorn kernels
• 150 ml heavy cream
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook for five minutes, stirring, until softened.
2. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the diced potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10–12 minutes until the potato is almost tender.
3. Add raw chicken pieces and sweetcorn. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes are tender. Check the thickest chicken pieces reach 74°C / 165°F.
4. Crush a few potato pieces against the side of the saucepan with a spoon to thicken the broth. Stir in the cream and pepper and heat gently for two minutes without boiling hard.
5. Ladle into four bowls. The chowder should be creamy but spoonable; add a little water if it has become too thick. No cheese or fresh herb garnish is needed.
6. Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Eat within three days. Reheat only the portions needed until steaming hot throughout, adding a little water if necessary.

Keep the potato dice small

Aim for roughly 1 cm cubes so the potato softens before the chicken goes in. Check with a fork rather than relying only on the clock.

Let the chicken cook gently

A steady simmer cooks small chicken pieces evenly. A rolling boil can make them firm. Check the internal temperature in a thick piece before adding the cream.

Thicken with potato

Press a few cooked cubes against the side of the pot and stir them back in. This gives a little body while leaving plenty of pieces to eat.

Add cream at the end

Warm the chowder after adding the cream and avoid a hard boil. Leftovers thicken as the potatoes absorb broth, so loosen them with water during reheating.

FAQs

How many servings does this make?

Makes 4 servings using the pan or equipment listed.

What should I check before serving?

Ladle into four bowls. The chowder should be creamy but spoonable; add a little water if it has become too thick. No cheese or fresh herb garnish is needed.

How should I store leftovers?

Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Eat within three days. Reheat only the portions needed until steaming hot throughout, adding a little water if necessary.