Chef Jack's Corn Chowder (Paula Deen)

This is one of my favorite summer dishes and it's never too early to start thinking about summer! I love to make this when I have fresh corn. The recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter but I found that is too rich for us combined with the half & half.

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 small onion, diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 small celery stalk, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups white corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups half & half
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & pepper

Melt 1 stick of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion , carrot, celery, and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook until the roux is lightly browned; set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the corn and chicken stock in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the boiling stock with the corn (a little at a time) into the skillet with the roux, whisking briskly so it doesn't lump. Return the skillet to the heat and bring to a boil. The mixture should become very thick. In a small saucepan, gently heat the half & half; stir it into the thick corn mixture. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, cut the remaining stick of butter into large chunks. Add it to enrich the soup, stirring until the butter melts.