Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Corn Chowder

This was one of the first recipes I ever made that was not only edible, but really delicious.

I made a fake corn stock this time around rather than just using chicken stock and it was worth the tiny extra effort. After you've scraped off the kernels, simmer the stalks in the chiken broth and the broth will soak up that milky goodness left on the stalks.

The soup turned out great and then I put an egg on it. Corn, potatoes, and bacon taste good with a little yolk.


Corn Chowder
Recipe from Ina Garten http://www.foodtv.com/

*This makes a ton of soup. Its easy to halve.
  • 8 ounces bacon, chopped
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 12 cups chicken stock
  • 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
  • 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
  • poached eggs for serving (optional)
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. (If you want to make the fake corn stock, just bring the chicken stock to a boil and simmer the corn stalks for bout 30 minutes.)

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.)

Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon....and a poached egg.