Jamie Oliver's Smoked Haddock and Corn Chowder

I've just made this chowder for dinner and my son loves it - so I'd recommend it for kids. It's from Jamie Oliver's book, Jamie's 30 Minutes Meals.

It was very easy, quick and simple and I managed to stick it all on whilst seeing to a baby. Just watch out for bones when serving it to little children. I even left out the prawns and it was still super tasty. I will be definitely making it again, but I think the potatoes could do with a little extra time. Here's Jamie's recipe:

Jamie Oliver's Smoked Haddock and Corn Chowder

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
A small bunch of spring onions
250g (9oz) red-skinned potatoes
4 corn on the cob
1 x 300g (11oz) fillet of smoked haddock, skin off and pin-boned
3 fresh bay leaves
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 litre (1.75 pints) organic chicken stock
150ml (0.25 pints) single cream
200g (7oz) peeled cooked prawns
1 x 150g (5oz) pack of large matzo crackers


HOW TO MAKE:

1. Finely slice the bacon and put it into the saucepan with a good lug of olive oil. Stir until golden.

2. Trim and finely slice the spring onions, add to the pan and stir.

3. Wash the potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks. Add to the pan and mix well. Keep an eye on the pan, stirring often.

4.  Meanwhile, put a clean tea towel over a board and ruffle up the edges to catch the corn. Hold a corn cob upright on the board and run a knife gently down to the base of the kernels, all the way round. Repeat with the rest of the cobs, discarding the cores. Tip the kernels directly from the tea towel into the pan.

5. Add the smoked haddock to the pan with 3 bay leaves and the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme. Cover with the chicken stock, then put the lid on and cook for 12-15 minutes.

6. Add 150ml of single cream and the peeled prawns to the chowder and stir well. Put the lid back on and turn the heat down to low.

7. Put the matzo crackers in a pile on the table.

8. Take the saucepan off the heat. You can leave it coarse and chunky, or use a potato masher to mash it up a little bit and make it silky, or purée the lot – it’s up to you. I like to roughly mash one side of it, then mix it through.