Chowdah, as it is pronounced around these parts, also known as chowder.  I had some chicken thighs in the freezer and I needed to put something together quick and one pan.  So this was my rendition of a chicken corn chowder.

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs trimmed of fat and chopped half inch chunks
• Boiling potatoes to yield about 1 cup of boiled ½ inch cubes
• 1 fresh Green Chipotle pepper chopped fine
• ½ red bell pepper chopped fine
• 1 Medium onion, chopped fine
• 3 cloves of crushed Garlic
• 2 heaped Tbsp All purpose flour
• 1 cup of Milk
• ¼cup Half and Half
• 2-3 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp Cayenne
• 1 tsp Chipotle chilli powder
• Salt to season
• 2 Tbsp White wine Vinegar
• Fistful of cooked and crumbled bacon bits.

Directions

• Poach the chopped chicken in water to cover completely with some salt a couple of Bay leaves for about 30 minutes till the chicken is completely done.
• While poaching the chicken skim of the foamy bits that float to clarify the broth that forms.
• While the chicken in poaching, boil the potatoes in salt water till done while still retaining their firmness.  Cool in cold water, peel and chop into ½ inch chunks
• Strain out the chicken completely and reserve the resulting chicken stock separately.
• Sauté onions in a Tbsp of butter and some vegetable oil until translucnet and they start taking on a little bit of colour.
• Add the Garlic and continue to sauté for another minute
• Add both the peppers and continue sautéing till the peppers are soft and start to take on some colour.
• Add the flour and continue mixing to cook out the flour flavour and make an in situ roux.
• When the roux has taken on a golden colour add the reserved chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  At this point the liquid should be quite thick.
• Add in the cumin, cayenne and one more bay leaf.  Season with salt.
• Add the cumin, chipotle powder and the vinegar and mix well
• Thin it out with the milk and heat to boil and simmer for about 5 minutes to meld the flavours.
• Add in the chicken and potatoes and continue till everything is heated up.
• The soup should have the consistency of a thin pancake batter.
• Adjust seasonings and serve with a garnish of Bacon bits and finely chopped scallions