Leek and Potato Chowder

This recipe is my tribute to James Crockett, the host of ‘Crockett’s Victory Garden’ on PBS in the 1970’s. Jim would raise leeks the size of baseball bats and brag about leek and potato soup. His skill in teaching gardening inspired me to pursue a career in horticulture. This version of your soup is my tribute to you.

Step: 1

Clean leeks by cutting off the roots and the tips of the leaves. Make a vertical cut from the root end to the tops, being careful to not cut through completely. The leeks will now open like the pages of a book, and any mud can be cleaned out between the leaves under the faucet. Slice the cleaned leeks into quarter-inch strips.

Step: 2

Melt half the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute leeks in hot butter until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a slow cooker.

Step: 3

Melt remaining butter in the same skillet over low heat. Gradually whisk flour into the melted butter until the mixture forms a clump of dough. Slowly stream chicken broth into the skillet, continually whisking until the broth is entirely incorporated; pour over the mixture in the slow cooker. Add bacon and potatoes to the slow cooker. Season mixture with salt and pepper; stir.

Step: 4

Cook on Low until the potatoes are soft, stirring water into the mixture if it gets too thick, at least 2 hours. Stir half-and-half into the mixture and continue cooking for 1 hour more.

Per Serving: 326 calories; protein 7g; carbohydrates 35.3g; fat 18.1g; cholesterol 52.3mg; sodium 864.5mg.

The word “stew” can process to both a food and a make dishes method. Stewing makes slowly cooking piece of meat, raw fruit or beans in a tastefull water based . It’s same as to braising, instead it makes have a few notable differences. The raw animal vested is chopped into smaller pieces instead of being processing menu whole , and the water based material all of it covers the essential in a stew as different to a braise’s halfway all of it . When meat or vegetables are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.

Stew has a reputation for making a rib-sticking meal that warms you up on a cold , winter day. It’s right that ; a bowl of classic beef stew does have warming featured food , but stew’s comfort factor goes way beyond protecting you from the chill . It’s all about those soft and chunks of meat and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy. The more they come together creates the ultimate comfort food, no matter the weather.