My mother made the worst corn chowder.
There. I said it. I know I’m supposed to wax nostalgic for Mama’s home cookin’, and in fairness, my mother did have several good recipes.
Corn chowder wasn’t one of them. She used frozen corn, lots of onions (and I hate onions), and potatoes. Nothing else. She diluted the low-fat milk in the broth with water.
Instead of a wonderfully unctuous, decadent, rib-sticking meal with enough flavor to blow your taste buds clear to Mars, I felt like I was drinking warm milk with stuff in it.
So I went decades without eating chowder of any kind: corn, clam, whatever. What was the point?
I do not recall what inspired me to give it another try. Maybe it was a cooking show, maybe it was a recipe search. But everything I found pointed to a rich, flavorful meal.
The best time to make it is usually August or early September. The real secret? Use fresh corn. Cut it from the cob minutes before you make it. My favorite purveyor is a farm on Route 281 in Homer who offers at least two varieties every week through the season, which starts in August and continues as long as possible. (I once got fresh corn on the cob in October from these guys.)
Cutting corn off the cob isn’t difficult. Shuck it, of course, and cut the pointy tip to create a flat surface. Stand the ear vertically and run a good knife down the side. You want to cut close to the cob to get as much kernel as you can, but if you cut too deep, you’ll get a bit of cob, and that’s not good chowder.
After you’ve cut the kernels, take the back of the knife and scrape the corn juice into a bowl or pot and add it to the broth. Extra flavor.
CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 slices bacon, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cups corn, about 6 ears
1/2 cup peas
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. rosemary
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
4-5 medium red potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
2 cups shredded chicken
Black pepper, for garnish
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. Add bacon, mushrooms, garlic, onion, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, until soft.
Stir in salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Add flour and stir to coat, cooking 1 minute. Stir in chicken stock, scraping bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Add potatoes, corn and bay leaf, and bring to a low boil. Boil for 12-15 minutes, until thickened and potatoes are fork tender. If chowder is getting too thick, add additional chicken stock or water as needed.
Stir in cream and shredded chicken and cook 2 minutes, or until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, then serve.
CORN CHOWDER
5 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large onion diced
4 potatoes diced
1 cup of water
Corn kernels from 6 ears, about 2 cups
1 cup milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. honey
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Cook bacon and remove from pan. Saute onions and corn lightly in bacon fat. Drain grease. Add potatoes and water. Cook 10-15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook over low for 10 minutes. Serve in bowls with crumbled bacon on top.
Play with it: Try a quarter-cup or more of sherry in either recipe. A touch of ground cayenne, maybe 1/2 tsp., can give some kick. Add more or less rosemary, or try thyme and sage, instead. A couple of chipotle chilis in adobo give it a nice kick, too.
