Herbed New England Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 cup Diced sweet onion (plus the ends and trimmings for making stock)
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Garlic (plus a couple extra cloves for stock)
- 1 cup Diced Fresh celery (plus trimmings and ends for making stock)
- 2 cups diced peeled golden potato
- 4 ears corn
- 1 stick Butter (use a vegan butter substitute for vegan version)
- 1/4 cup corn flour
- 1 Quart Heavy Cream (Use a cream substitute for vegan)
- 2 quart water
- 3 each Bay leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped thyme, and sage mixed Save the stems for making stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Reserve the kernels. Place the cobs in water with Onion and celery trimmings, herb stems, garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cut back to a simmer to make a stock. Allow to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour to really get the corn flavor out. You should end up with about a quart of stock.
- Heat the butter in a heavy gauge pot over medium heat. Add in the onion, celery and potato. Saute until translucent and the potatoes begin to soften. Add in the herbs, bay leaf, and corn and stir. Cook for about 1 minute. Add in the corn flour and stir until the liquid in the pan combines well and a roux paste is created. Cook that while stirring occasionally for about a minute. Strain the stock into the pan, and, whisk vigorously to incorporate the roux into the stock to thicken it.
- Continue cooking for about 5 to 10 minutes to make sure the potatoes are cooked, but not falling apart. Add in the cream, and, bring to a boil. Continue whisking. Taper off to a simmer. Allow the soup to thicken for a few minutes. Then season and serve hot. Garnish with a nice chive oil or add more flavors like peas, spinach, or whatever you want.
Notes
To make vegan, substitute butter and cream with vegan alternatives.
If you want a meat version, render some bacon before adding the butter. I would cut back on the amount of butter due to the additional fat from the bacon.
We used corn flour as a nod to the pilgrims, and, to make it gluten free, For a thicker smoother consistency, use traditional AP flour.
Another little trick is to add a little maple syrup or sugar to highlight the sweetness of the corn. This isn't for everybody. But, I know some people with a sweet tooth who love this addition.
This recipe is pretty stripped down on purpose. You can add lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, haddock, swordfish, or any other variety of fish for a New England Seafood version. Or you can go with a more savory Chicken and corn chowder (or other meat). Or, add vegetables for a vegetable chowder. Or you can just serve it as is.