Corn Chowder

Being born and raised in New England, it’s often difficult for me to imagine that most people did not grow up eating chowder at the frequency at which I did.  Or, that most people haven’t had chowder…ever.  Almost every year on Christmas day, my mom would make a huge batch of clam chowder and my sister and I would scarf it down.  Chowder was one of my favorite dishes (especially with oyster crackers!) and my mom made it best.

Although it’s been since childhood since I’ve had my mom’s clam chowder, I find this kind of soup a compellingly warm, flavorful, creamy (but not too creamy) dish that just brightens my day.  With the increasingly cold weather overtaking Baton Rouge this week (seriously, it’s 15 degrees warmer in Maine right now!), I thought what better dish than chowder to make me feel warm and at home?

This Corn Chowder (although somewhat different from the one of my childhood) is a fantastic take on the traditional New England soup.  Filled with fresh sweet corn right off the cob, cajun spices, and sauteed onions, celery, peppers, and carrots, this soup makes for the warmest, bubbliest kind of American comfort food.

Corn Chowder

This recipe comes from Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes.  Although my variation follows her ingredient list and procedure “similarly” there are some changes to spices and how the overall soup is prepared.  For the original, see here.

Ingredients:

* 2 Tablespoons Butter

* 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

* 1/2 large celery stalk, chopped

* 1/2 carrot, chopped fine

* 3 ears corn, removed from the cob

* 2 Bay Leaves

* 3 1/2 cups milk, whole or low fat

* 1 medium red potato

* 1/4 green pepper, chopped

* salt & pepper, to taste

* 1 teaspoon thyme

1.) Shuck corn, wash, and using a sharp knife, remove the kernels from the cub with lengthwise strokes.

2.) Melt 2 tablespoons butter to a large soup pot over medium heat and add onions to the pot.  Sautee for 4-5 minutes, or until onions are golden and translucent.  Add celery, pepper, and carrots and cook for 4-5 more minutes.

3.) Break corn cobs in half and add to sauce pan with corn kernels.  Add milk (3 1/2 cups) and 2 bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and reduce soup to a low simmer for 30 minutes.  You may need to add 1 more cup of milk halfway through (my broth reduced significantly during this step).

4.) Remove the cobs and add the potatoes and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Remove from heat and enjoy! Makes 6 servings.