Potato Corn Chowder

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler and position a rack in the top position inside the oven.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lay the poblano peppers and quartered onion on the sheet.
3. Broil until the tops of the peppers are at least 90% black. Remove from the oven and turn all the peppers and the onions over and repeat on the other side. Remove from the oven, dump the peppers and onions in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
4. When cool, peel the skin from the peppers, discarding the skin, stem and seeds. Chop the peppers and onions into 1-inch pieces.
5. Add the olive oil to a large, heavy bottom saucepan or dutch oven and place over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels to drain.
6. Remove all but 2-3 tablespoon of fat from the sauce pan and place back over medium heat. Add the diced red peppers and cook, stirring frequently until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes to toast the spices.
7. Add the chicken broth, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, onions, and poblano peppers to the boiling broth and cook until the potatoes are tender, 8-10 minutes.
8. While the potatoes cook, reserve about 1 cup of the corn and put the rest in a blender with the cream and puree.
9. When the potatoes are tender, add the pureed corn and the whole corn kernels to the chowder. Turn the heat down to low and cook just until the corn is heated through, about 3 minutes.
10. Stir in the salsa verde and hot sauce (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add reserved bacon and chopped cilantro, and serve with croutons if desired.