members recipes

It\'s very comforting and filling; the citrus from the lemon and allspice make it taste autumnal and warming. Not sure if this is technically a chowder, as it contains no potatoes or flour to thicken, but let\'s not split hairs - it\'s thicker than an ordinary soup. You can reserve a handful of corn kernels for presentation purposes, stirring them in at the end.

Ingredients
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
olive oil, knob of butter
500g sweetcorn (fresh is best, tinned is fine)
200g smoked bacon
1l chicken stock
1/2 tsp ground allspice berries
1 tsp lemon zest
black pepper (cayenne is good, too)
5 tbsp cream
chives or dill, to taste

Method
In a large pot, heat a little oil. Finely slice the bacon into thin shreds and fry until crisp. Remove, set on paper towels and allow to drain.

In the same pot, melt the butter and a touch more oil (to prevent burning) with the bacon fat. Add the onions and garlic and fry over a medium heat until beginning to soften and turn glassy. Try not to brown the vegetables. Add the sweetcorn. Pour in the stock and sprinkle in the spices.

Simmer for five minutes, remove from the heat and blend with a stick blender until relatively smooth. Stir in the cream, chopped chives and the crisp bacon.