As a home cook, I love the autumn season! And it’s not just because there’s so much fresh food coming into my kitchen. No. When outdoor temperatures drop, I feel happy because this means I can once again make my favorite soups and stews. Yes, I readily confess I’m a soup lover!

There’s something so heart warming and nourishing about a good, homemade soup! And today, I want to share a variation of one of my favorites!

How to Make Corn and Duck Chowder

I know duck isn’t common in the North American culture, but in our home, it’s a favorite. Duck has a rich, hearty flavor that beats both chicken and turkey (in my mind anyway)! If you’ve never served duck before, I’d recommend starting with this recipe by way of introduction.

Step 1: Stew Your Duck

After letting your duck thaw for 8+ hours, place it in a snug-fitting baking dish. Cover the bird with about 1/2 inch of water, add about 1 tsp salt and pop it in the oven. Let it slowly bake for 5 (maybe 6) hours or until the meat starts slipping off the bones.

Note: if you don’t want to use your oven, you can do this in a crock pot as well. Cover the bird and let it cook on medium/low heat for 6-8 hours

When the duck is finished, lift it out of the broth and let it cool for a bit. Using clean hands, separate pick the meat from the bones neatly pile it on a plate.

Step 2: Prepare the Broth

There should be lots of duck broth leftover in the baking dish! Strain it through a colander to catch any fatty bits of skin, then measure it out into a stockpot.

Set it boil on the stovetop while you prepare your vegetables!

Step 3: Add Vegetables and Meat

This recipe will take about 3 large potatoes. I don’t peel mine but you can if you so desire.

Wash your potatoes well and then dice each one into 1/2 inch cubes. Add to the boiling broth. At this point, you’ll measure out and add both sweet corn and duck meat.

Cover the pot with a lid and let these three ingredients boil for 15-20 minutes.

Step 4: Add Milk, Salt and Onion Greens

Once your potatoes begin to soften, it’s time to add the milk. Stir it in and let things gently simmer while you prepare your onion greens.

Note: leeks make a delicious replacement for onion greens!

Dice tender onion greens, until you have 1 C. Stir them into the pot. At this point, you can also add the remaining salt and season to personal taste.

Step 5: Prepare and Stir in Herbs

About 4-5 minutes before serving your corn and duck chowder, turn the oven burner off. Dice a handful of parsley until you have about 1 C, loosely packed. Add this to the pot, along with 1/2 C chopped, green basil.

Cover the pot with a lid and let the herbs steam until you are ready to serve. Ladle it into bowls and add a side of hot biscuits or homemade bread.

Dinner is served!