Corn chowder shouldn’t taste like seafood chowder that somebody forgot to add the seafood to.
Is it too much to ask that a corn chowder showcase just two things: the taste and texture of fresh corn?
I began devising a better batch.
Start with the corn. Only fresh ears will do.
Next, the base. I opted for whole milk. This gave me richness without overwhelming either the corn or the palate.
Seasonings would be simple: a bit of thyme, salt and pepper -end-of-summer friendly.
To help round out the flavors with a savory note, I used a base of diced yellow onion and garlic sauteed in olive oil.
To that I added finely diced potatoes to give the chowder a bit more body.
Corn chowder
4cups milk
7ears corn
2tablespoons olive oil
1large yellow onion, diced
1 1/2cups finely diced potatoes (about 1 large potato or 2 small)
1/2teaspoon dried thyme
4cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a low simmer.
Meanwhile, cut the corn kernels from the cobs. To do this, stand each ear on its wide end. Use a serrated knife to saw down the length of the ear. Set kernels aside.
When the milk is warm, add the corn cobs and simmer 10 minutes.
While the cobs simmer, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, potatoes and thyme and saute about 8 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
Remove the cobs from the milk and discard them. Transfer the potato and onion mixture into the milk. Add the corn kernels and simmer 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 2 to 3 servings.
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