Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder

Begin by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Next, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat; then add the corn and tarragon, stirring occasionally as it cooks until it starts to develop a golden brown color, approximately 5 minutes.

Then place the skillet with the corn into the preheated oven and roast, stirring every 5 minutes, until it reaches a lightly browned but not dry state, around 20 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; stir occasionally as it browns evenly, about 10 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon slices and drain them on paper towels to remove excess fat. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat that remains.

Heat the reserved bacon fat in the Dutch oven over medium heat; then add the onion and stir until it softens and becomes translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and dark brown, about 15 minutes.

Next, pour chicken stock over the caramelized onions; stir to dissolve any browned bits at the bottom of the pot and bring it to a boil. Add the corn, potatoes, parsley, garlic, celery, and paprika into the onion mixture; stir to combine. Crumble some of the cooked bacon and add it to the soup, reserving about 1/4 cup for garnish.

Reduce the heat to low; simmer until the potatoes are tender, approximately 30 minutes. Then stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and half-and-half into the soup; season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, sprinkle the reserved bacon and Cheddar cheese over the soup to serve.