Dinner Tonight: Corn Chowder with Cheddar
My go-to corn chowder has long been a Jacques Pepin recipe; a light milky soup with grated onion. But it's not a particularly hearty soup. Elegant and silky, yes—but it doesn't inhabit all that the word chowder has to offer, which has me craving thickness and heft. The other day I was searching for a recipe that didn't resort to heavy cream for the purpose, when I found this one from Wholeliving.com.
As promised, the result had a surprising creaminess, thanks to the melted cheese and pureed potato (opt for a waxy rather than floury potato to avoid glueyness), even though it's still milk-based. The cumin and coriander spicing proved to be a unique flavor profile for corn chowder, along with cayenne for a little heat; a splash of white wine brought a touch of sweetness.
About the author: Blake Royer founded The Paupered Chef with Nick Kindelsperger, where he writes about food and occasional travels. He is currently living for the year in Tartu, Estonia.
Corn Chowder with Cheddar
- serves 6 -
Adapted from Wholeliving.com
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
3 cups corn, fresh or frozen
2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
Chopped scallions for garnish (optional)
Procedure
1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and cook the onions and celery until soft, about 7 or 8 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, and cayenne, cooking for an additional 30 seconds until the spices are fragrant, then add the wine. Cook as the wine evaporates, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes, stock, and milk, and bring the soup to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
3. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and puree (or pass it through a food mill). Return to the pot and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and portion into bowls. Top with cheese and scallions, if desired.
View other entries from Dinner Tonight.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
9 Comments:
This looks a smidge more healthy than Ina Garten's cheddar corn chowder recipe.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cheddar-corn-chowder-recipe/index.html
Healthy as in, this recipe would not cause me to have a heart attack on the spot.
TheKitchenette at 5:18PM on 05/19/09
When do you add the corn? =D
blangblang at 5:28PM on 05/19/09
Corn? In corn chowder? Blangblang you renegade.
jscarey at 1:00AM on 05/20/09
@blangblang @jscarey: Aha! Key ingredient indeed. Add it after you return the blended portion of the soup to the pot in step 3; simmer until tender.
Blake Royer at 1:07AM on 05/20/09
There is a transcription error in the recipe. You should add the corn AFTER the potatoes are tender and then continue cooking the chowder until the corn is tender.
This is one of those Ralph Nader grade "I'm-so-scared-of-dying-I-can't-really-live" recipes. I would start with Vichyssoise and add corn to it, serving it hot with the grated cheddar and snipped shallot tops dropped in the bowls.
Grumpy Old Man at 9:50AM on 05/20/09
Hey, i made this last night, it turned out pretty good. The white wine was perfect. I'd definitely add some bacon in or something to give it a varied texture, but other than that I'm looking forward to the giant bag of leftovers in my freezer.
Grumpy Old Man, I don't quite see how using Vichyssoise makes this recipe any less Ralph Nader...
padrock at 11:19AM on 05/20/09
I made this last night as well and I was pleased with the result. I did add bacon, frying it at the beginning and using the fat to sweat the veggies. I used vermouth in place of the regular white wine because that is what I had. Oh, and it screamed for salt and pepper. The waxy potatoes are a great idea and be careful not to overcook. The texture of the cubes does a lot for this dish. Crumble the bacon and use it as a topping.
Michael Z at 11:39AM on 05/20/09
Oh, I'm sure the recipe will work as written, I just think it would be a lot better with heavy cream, butter and leeks instead of olive oil, skim milk and onions. Looking for leeks in my part of the country was like looking for hen's teeth when I was a kid. Now-a-days you can pick up a bundle of three big ones anytime you want at the local Wally World. A little bacon thrown in would not hurt it, either. I think Michael Z is right about that. Also, I like red Pontiac potatoes a lot better than I do Yukons.
BTW, leave the cheese out of this recipe and it will be good eats when cold.
Grumpy Old Man at 12:14PM on 05/20/09
Delicious sounding recipe. If you want some more chowder ideas, try this place where you can learn just about anything about soups, chowders, you name it...
at Soup Hoopla!
EasyAppetizers at 8:04PM on 05/23/09