Chowder with baked corn and chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded chicken breast grilled chicken (approximately 300 g; without skin)
• 2 ears of corn, husked
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1.5 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (4 long sprigs)
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup corn flour
• 0.5 cups whole milk
• 4 whole grain buns, for serving

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to broil. Place the corn on a rimmed baking sheet and broil, turning, until lightly charred on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, broil the corn directly over a gas burner or on a grill. Transfer to a cutting board; let cool slightly, then cut off the kernels and transfer to a bowl. Holding the corn over the bowl, run the dull side of a chef's knife down the length of the cob to release all the juices.
2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add most of the green onions, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish, celery, sweet potato, thyme, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with cornmeal; cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add the corn, its juices, and 5 cups water. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender and the soup has thickened slightly, 15 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the chicken and milk. Cook until the chicken is heated through, 2-3 minutes (do not bring to a boil). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle each serving of chowder with the reserved green onions and serve with buns.