This time of year, I love soups, stews, etc. Hubby is not usually a big fan of these things. But last week, we had dinner at a favorite diner, and soup came with the meal. They offered a corn chowder, which we both got, and it was delightful! It seems to me that this is a soup-type dish I could serve that he would happily eat.
Obviously, I can find recipes online, but I was hoping to get some input from the Dopers! Extra points if it’s easy to make! Plus, keep in mind that around here, you can’t get good fresh corn on the cob, so use of frozen/canned is essential. Additions of any kind of meat is fine, too. I’m pretty open-minded about this stuff, and it occurs to me that this type of chowder would be good with some nice shrimp added, maybe!
Here’s my recipe for corn chowder, perfected over a few years:
Really Good Corn Chowder
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
1 can (15oz) corn, pureed
~2 cups corn (frozen, fresh, canned, whatever)
1 big leek, cut in half lengthwise & sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 T. flour
5 T. butter
2-3 chicken breasts
~1 lb red potatoes, diced
about 1t. of some sort of dried chile powder (NOT “chili powder” for making chili, but something like chimayo or chipotle or ancho powder. If you don’t have that, substitute paprika)
Heat chicken stock in small pan. Poach chicken breasts until done, ~10 min
Remove chicken breasts, add potatoes if there’s enough liquid, cook until tender. Otherwise cook 'em in water.
Put butter in pot, melt. Add red bell pepper & leeks & .5 - 1 t. chimayo pepper or paprika. Cook for a few min until peppers are soft. Add flour, whisk for 2 min until the flour starts to turn slightly brown (in other words, make a pale roux).
Athena, that sounds great! Question - what kind of cream? Light, whipping, heavy? And what % milk do you use - if whole, would 2% be acceptable, or if you use 2% would 1% work?
There’s only one kind of cream in my town, and that’s plain ol’ whipping cream, so that’s what I use.
As for milk, I use what’s in the fridge, which about 90% of the time is 1%. But that’s only because Mr. Athena is the milk drinker in the house; my personal feeling is the more fat, the better, so if you’re shopping and aren’t worried about fat, I’d go with whole milk. But really, anything will work.
My favorite vegetarian corn showder recipe, courtesy of my SIL the corn freak:
Ingredients
2 onions, diced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
6 ears of corn
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper
four strips of cooked and chopped veggie bacon, optional
Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the ears of corn and set aside, reserving the cobs. In a large saucepan, combine the cobs, 1 of the diced onions, and 8 cups water. Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to steep for an additional 30 minutes.
While the corncobs are steeping, place a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and add butter or olive oil. Add remaining diced onion and sauté until translucent and soft, about 20 minutes; do not allow to take on any color. Add corn kernels and sauté until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the stock has finished steeping, strain it, discarding the cobs and onions. Add 6 cups to the pot of corn kernels; discard any remaining stock or reserve for another use. Return to medium heat and simmer until the corn is soft, about 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove half the soup and allow to cool until no longer steaming when stirred. Hot soup cannot be puréed in a blender, because the aeration makes the top blow off, and the hot soup spews all over. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender until kernels are partly broken, or smooth, depending on your preference, then return to pot, reheating gently if necessary. Season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper and bacon if desired.
4-6 Slices of Bacon
1 Large Onion
2 ½ Cups Water
3-4 Med. Potatoes
2 to 3 16 Ounce Cans of Corn, Mix of Yellow and White
Salt and Pepper to Taste
½ Cup Flour
10-12 Ounce Can of Evaporated Milk
Slice onion and bacon into small pieces. Place in Frying pan and fry until bacon is crispy and onions are caramelized. Place mixture in large pot and add 2 cups of water and potatoes. Boil slowly for 10 minutes. Add corn with liquid, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend flour into ½ cup very cold water, and slowly add to chowder in order to thicken. Turn down chowder to a simmer and add condensed milk. Cook for 10 minutes and enjoy tasty chowder!!
Hey, not only does this recipe look good (and very simple!) but it could also (theoretically) meet lindsaybluth’s request for low-fat! You can certainly buy evaporated skimmed milk! (I’d still use the bacon fat, though; the flavor has to come from somewhere!)
I emailed my hubby, who works in Baltimore a lot, and asked him if he’d pick up a pound of good lump crab meat I could add in. Before I use an ingredient as pricey as crab meat, I’ll ‘perfect’ a corn chowder recipe!
kayaker, your recipe looks fantastic. Unfortunately, I’m skeptical of my ability to find fresh pablano peppers in a place like this!
heehee, that was my thought exactly - skimmed milk with the bacon fat. I mean, butter gives a great mouthfeel but bacon fat has genuine flavor I can get behind ;).
Agreed. Bacon fat has all the full-fat attributes of butter, plus a great, smoky flavor! (IME, this smoky flavor pairs perfectly with sweet corn; in the summertime, we love to buy sweet corn on the cob, pull back the husk, wrap each ear in a strip of bacon, tie the husk back up, and throw it on the grill! Yummmmm!)
Athena, I cooked up a pot of your chowder this morning, and it’s wonderful! I’ll be making some homemade rolls and a nice salad to go along with it. It’s going to be our dinner later this evening. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!