Serious Eats: Recipes
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.
