Beer Cheese Chowder
October 24th, 2020
Beer cheese chowder has been a favourite of mine and Selina’s since we moved to Calgary. We had a chance to try it in Canmore, at a brewpub attached to the Grizzly Paw Brewing Company. The warm chowder and thick nature of the soup lends itself well to warming up on a cold day. Seeing as Calgary has seen a week straight of snow, I felt this was an appropriate meal, especially with a friend joining us this week.
Ingredients
1/2 Pound slab of bacon, cut into 1/3" slices and 1/3" dice
1 celery ribs
1 small onion, diced finely
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of thyme
12 ounces of lager or pilsner
2 cups of chicken broth
4 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 Pound of cheddar
4 ounces of smoked cheddar Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp (7 minutes. )
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl. Add the celery, onion, garlic and thyme to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened (8 minutes.)
Add half of the beer and cook until reduced by half, (5 minutes.)
Add 2 1/4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a simmer. In a small skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned (about 2 minutes.)
Whisk this roux into the soup until incorporated and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened (about 8 minutes)
Add the heavy cream, cheddar cheeses and the remaining beer and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy (about 5 minute)
Stir in the bacon and season with salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of broth if the soup is too thick.
