Corn Chowder

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 1 hour

 

This is a creamy, roux-thickened chowder showcasing fresh sweet corn. If you like your chowder even richer, substitute cream for some or all of the milk. And if you have a hankering for this when summer is long gone, use frozen corn, skip Step 1, and use 3 cups vegetable stock (pages 97–100).

You can make this even heartier by adding potato: Peel and cut 1 large baking potato into ½-inch dice. Add it to the chowder in Step 3 five to ten minutes before adding the corn.

  1. Put the corncobs and 3 cups water in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (The cobs won’t be submerged but that’s fine.) Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the water bubbles gently. Cover and cook, checking occasionally, until the water is opaque and the cobs soften, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the cobs and transfer the broth to a bowl.
  2. Return the pot to medium-high heat (no need to wipe it out) and add the butter. When the butter foams, add the scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft, about 1 minute. Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or a wooden spoon, until the mixture starts to turn golden and the flour no longer smells raw, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the milk and the reserved broth and turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir or whisk constantly until the flour is dissolved and the soup starts to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the corn kernels and bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the soup bubbles gently. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is just tender and the soup has thickened even more, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Roasted Corn Chowder Heat the oven to 400°F. Put the corn kernels on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spread out evenly. Roast the corn, stirring and turning frequently with a spatula, until the kernels start to brown, 15 to 25 minutes. Follow the recipe from the beginning, using the roasted kernels and reducing the cooking time in Step 3 to 3 to 5 minutes.

Cheesy Corn Chowder In Step 3, along with the corn, add ½ cup grated cheese, like Parmesan, sharp cheddar, or a Mexican cheese like Cotija or Chihuahua.

Vegan Creamy Corn Chowder Substitute olive oil for the butter. Instead of milk use a grain, soy, or nut milk. V

Manhattan Corn Chowder Tomato-based and also vegan: Instead of the milk, use 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (canned tomatoes also work fine; figure on two 28-ounce cans); add in Step 2 along with the corncob broth. V