This recipe is an adaptation of several different corn chowder recipes I found. You can use fresh or frozen corn, you can use bacon to increase the flavor, and you can play around with adding milk, cream, chicken stock and/or white wine. Here is what I used:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Tbs butter/margerine
- 2 strips of bacon
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 1 carrot - diced
- 1 celery stalk - diced
- 1 red chili pepper (or a milder green serrano pepper) - sliced
- 3-4 cups of corn (e.g. I used a mix of fresh and frozen corn: 2 ears of sweet corn, 1 bag of frozen corn)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 thyme leave - chopped
- 2 cups of milk
- 1/2 cup of cream
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 1 big potato (I prefer Yukon Gold) - diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper - diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
- for garnishment: sliced chives, green onions, chili pepper, shredded cheese and/or croutons
PREPARATION
First, melt the butter over low-medium heat and add the bacon strips. Fry it till its fat is rendered (the fat is what gives it flavor), but doens't let it get brown or burned. While waiting, dice the onions, carrots and celery and slice the chili pepper.
Now add the onions and saute them till they are translucent. Then add the carrot, celery and chili pepper and let cook for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, cut the corn off the corn cob. Just use a knife and slice along the sides. You will notice how juicy the corn cob itself is. Best do it over a bowl so that the kernels don't fly around.
Then add the corn cobs to the pot, add the bay leaf, thyme, milk, cream, chicken stock and wine. Let simmer on lowest heat for 15-30 minutes to get the flavor out of the bacon and corn cobs. Make sure that it is not boiling as that would separate the cream. Dice the potatoes and bell pepper in small pieces.
Now remove the corn cobs and bacon. Add the potatoes and red bell pepper cubes. Spice with cumin, pepper and salt (if you like it spicy add some cayenne pepper). Turn up the heat a little bit to medium and bring it to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are soft.
Add the fresh and frozen corn and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 5 min.
As a last step, I like to take 1/2 - 2/3 of the soup and blend it. Then mix it with the not blended soup and you will have a soup with some nice pieces of potatoe, corn and carrot.
Serve with some sliced chives, green onions, chilies, shredded cheese or croutons.
Now add the onions and saute them till they are translucent. Then add the carrot, celery and chili pepper and let cook for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, cut the corn off the corn cob. Just use a knife and slice along the sides. You will notice how juicy the corn cob itself is. Best do it over a bowl so that the kernels don't fly around.
Then add the corn cobs to the pot, add the bay leaf, thyme, milk, cream, chicken stock and wine. Let simmer on lowest heat for 15-30 minutes to get the flavor out of the bacon and corn cobs. Make sure that it is not boiling as that would separate the cream. Dice the potatoes and bell pepper in small pieces.
Now remove the corn cobs and bacon. Add the potatoes and red bell pepper cubes. Spice with cumin, pepper and salt (if you like it spicy add some cayenne pepper). Turn up the heat a little bit to medium and bring it to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are soft.
Add the fresh and frozen corn and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 5 min.
As a last step, I like to take 1/2 - 2/3 of the soup and blend it. Then mix it with the not blended soup and you will have a soup with some nice pieces of potatoe, corn and carrot.
Serve with some sliced chives, green onions, chilies, shredded cheese or croutons.