CORN CHOWDER

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Yields: 6–8 Servings

Comment:
There are two things that I really love about this dish. First, when mixing fresh corn with cream corn in a soup such as this, it seems like you’re eating fresh corn on the cob and there’s just no better flavor. Secondly, this recipe allows you to enhance the dish tremendously by adding chicken, shrimp or even jumbo lump crabmeat. Thereby, creating an entrée from this soup recipe.

Ingredients:
6 ears fresh corn
2 (15-ounce) cans cream-style corn
2 quarts chicken stock, divided
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 strips bacon, diced
1 cup diced onions
½ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup diced yellow bell pepper
¼ cup minced garlic
¼ cup flour
12 small Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste

Method:
Select tender, well-developed ears of fresh corn and remove husks and silk. Using a sharp knife, cut lengthwise through the kernels to remove them from the cob. Transfer kernels to a small bowl and set aside. Using a cleaver, chop corn cobs into 1-inch pieces and place into a 1-gallon stock pot along with chicken stock. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes to render corn flavor into the stock. Discard cobs and keep stock warm. In a blender, purée creamed corn, 1 cup of fresh corn and 1 cup of reserved stock. Blend until smooth then set aside. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add diced bacon and sauté until lightly browned and bacon fat is rendered. Add remaining fresh corn kernels, onions, celery, bell peppers and minced garlic then sauté 6–8 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining stock, one ladle at a time, to create a soup-like consistency. Add potatoes and corn puree. Bring to a rolling boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook 10–15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in heavy whipping cream and green onions. Season to taste using salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. Serve hot with toasted French bread.