Summer Corn Chowder
Nancy Jo
Photo by Rocky Luten
- Serves
- 6
- Prep Time
- 30 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 Hour 15 Minutes
I started making this chowder in 1990 from a recipe I found in Food & Wine. Not being a fan of bell peppers, I modified it by adding poblano peppers instead and I think it tastes much better. I have also roasted the poblanos on occasion for a richer flavor It's a huge crowd pleaser! —Nancy Jo
Ingredients
- 6 medium ears of corn
- 6 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium poblano, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 small celery rib, finely chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 medium boiling potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 pinch granulated sugar
- 1 dry bay leaf
- 2 cup half-and-half, at room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Featured Video
Summer Corn Chowder
This is an understated corn chowder recipe. This is an earthy, moody corn chowder that alternates between sweet and spicy. Two kinds of chile peppers—poblano and jalapeño—are finely chopped and mixed in for heat and a bit of vibrant color against the mellow yellow soup. You can remove the seeds and veins (the white part inside the peppers), which carries most of the heat, or leave them for more kick. A small amount of ground allspice brings warmth, mellowing the heat and allowing it to blend more harmoniously with the other flavors. Chowder recipes can take or leave bacon, but it’s included here for a salty, fatty edge. At one point, we’ll have you remove some of the rendered bacon fat: you could discard it, or you could be smart and save it in the fridge for tomorrow’s hash browns. That said, you can certainly leave it out for a pescatarian-friendly recipe.
The other not-so-New England addition to this chowder recipe is tomatoes—three of them are peeled, seeded, and finely chopped. For the record, you don’t need to go through the process of peeling tomatoes. If you want to skip it, skip it! The texture will just be a little more toothsome.
The quickest and easiest way to peel tomatoes is by cutting an ‘X’ on the bottom of each (to loosen the skin) and boiling them in hot water for just a minute. Immediately transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water, thus stopping the cooking process, preserving their red color, and making them much easier to handle. Peel the skin from where the ‘X’ is.
We were also intrigued by the technique of cooking the vegetables in their own juices before adding milk and cream, which seems to intensify all the flavors. Take advantage of the “milk” from the corn—aka the white, slightly creamy liquid that cascades down the side of the cob as you cut the kernels off. This brings natural creaminess to the soup (with the help of a combination of cream and milk). It also brings the corn flavor to the forefront, which after all, is what corn chowder is all about.
Directions
- Step 1
Working over a bowl, cut the corn kernels from the cobs at about half their depth. Then, using the back of the knife, scrape the cobs over the bowl to release all the corn milk.
- Step 2
In a large saucepan, fry the bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate or wire rack to drain.
- Step 3
Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the poblano, jalapeño, and celery and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now stir in the tomatoes, potatoes, salt, allspice, sugar, bay leaf, and the reserved corn kernels and their milk. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to sizzle.
- Step 4
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Stir in the cream and milk and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and season with black pepper to taste. Ladle the chowder into bowls. Crumble the cooled bacon and sprinkle that on top, along with the parsley.