THE FLAVOR OF GARDEN-FRESH CORN COMES THROUGH IN THIS hearty chowder. You can grill the tomatoes and bell pepper right along with the corn, of course, but in this recipe, we want you to think about “frozen assets,” previously grilled or smoked vegetables from The Gardener’s Grill Pantry (page 28) and The Gardener’s Smoke Pantry (page 33).
SERVES 8 TO 10
6 ears sweet corn
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 large chopped grilled or smoked tomato (page 9) (about 1 cup)
2 chopped grilled, grill-roasted, or smoked red bell peppers (pages 8-9) (about 1 cup)
1 (8-ounce) grilled or smoked chicken breast, chopped
1 tablespoon freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup grilled corn kernels
Prepare a hot fire in your grill. Lightly brush the corn with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place on the hot grill and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes to get good grill marks on the corn. Let cool. Cut kernels off the cobs. Place one-third of the corn kernels in a food processor. Add 1 cup cream and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, peppers, chicken, parsley, cumin, and hot sauce. Simmer for about 30 minutes, and then season with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon and grilled corn.