Corn Chowder
Feb. 27th, 2010 07:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peteyfrogboyLooking back through my old food-related posts, it doesn't look like I've ever posted about this, so I reckon it's time. This is my mother's corn chowder recipe. It's more of a technique than an actual recipe, so don't expect a lot of precise measurements. I didn't eat this as a child (more the fool I), but I always enjoyed the grilled cheese sandwiches that are the traditional accompaniment.
I am aware that this is more of a potato soup than a proper chowder, but "corn potato soup" sounds terrible. Okay, on to the foods!
So, like any good soup, this starts with a pound of bacon. You could use less, but why? Cut it into pieces about an inch long (easiest to do while it's still all in a big slab) and dump it into a heavy stock pot. Having the pot hot already is not necessary, but saves time and adds drama!
Render the fat from the bacon. The little bacon bits will shrivel up as you wring the last bits of grease from them, they will be revived later. There will also be lots of brown gunk stuck to the sides and bottom of the pot. This is what we call "flavor". Once your bacon has been tortured sufficiently, drain off most of the bacon grease and save it for... whatever you use bacon grease for.
Back on the heat, add in perhaps half a bunch of chopped celery (chuck the rest in the freezer for other soups) and a medium onion, also chopped. Cook these in the bacon grease until they start getting translucent.
Now add in 5 or 6 peeled, cubed potatoes and add enough water to just cover them. This will cause more sizzling and drama as the gunk on the bottom of the pan is converted to bacon stock. What could be better? Put this back on the stove at medium-ish heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender enough to easily stick a fork into.
Finally, the denouement (this is French for "corn"). Add in a can of plain corn and a can of creamed corn. Finally, add enough potato flakes to thicken the soup, but don't go crazy! Unless you plan to eat all of it now, you will be saving some for future leftovers. If you make it too thick now, it will become a solid mass in the fridge. This can be alleviated by adding milk or water when reheating, but be prepared.
You can add pepper to the soup during cooking, but I generally leave it to be added at the table (to account for differing levels of pepper addiction). My parents always added cream or half-and-half at the table as well, which not only adds a bit of creaminess but also allows you to eat sooner without burning yourself. Since I don't drink coffee, the best I usually have on hand is milk, but it'll do in a pinch. Cheese is also fine if that's your thing.
As previously mentioned, the traditional accompaniment to this is grilled cheese sandwiches, cut diagonally into quarters.
I am aware that this is more of a potato soup than a proper chowder, but "corn potato soup" sounds terrible. Okay, on to the foods!
So, like any good soup, this starts with a pound of bacon. You could use less, but why? Cut it into pieces about an inch long (easiest to do while it's still all in a big slab) and dump it into a heavy stock pot. Having the pot hot already is not necessary, but saves time and adds drama!
Render the fat from the bacon. The little bacon bits will shrivel up as you wring the last bits of grease from them, they will be revived later. There will also be lots of brown gunk stuck to the sides and bottom of the pot. This is what we call "flavor". Once your bacon has been tortured sufficiently, drain off most of the bacon grease and save it for... whatever you use bacon grease for.
Back on the heat, add in perhaps half a bunch of chopped celery (chuck the rest in the freezer for other soups) and a medium onion, also chopped. Cook these in the bacon grease until they start getting translucent.
Now add in 5 or 6 peeled, cubed potatoes and add enough water to just cover them. This will cause more sizzling and drama as the gunk on the bottom of the pan is converted to bacon stock. What could be better? Put this back on the stove at medium-ish heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender enough to easily stick a fork into.
Finally, the denouement (this is French for "corn"). Add in a can of plain corn and a can of creamed corn. Finally, add enough potato flakes to thicken the soup, but don't go crazy! Unless you plan to eat all of it now, you will be saving some for future leftovers. If you make it too thick now, it will become a solid mass in the fridge. This can be alleviated by adding milk or water when reheating, but be prepared.
You can add pepper to the soup during cooking, but I generally leave it to be added at the table (to account for differing levels of pepper addiction). My parents always added cream or half-and-half at the table as well, which not only adds a bit of creaminess but also allows you to eat sooner without burning yourself. Since I don't drink coffee, the best I usually have on hand is milk, but it'll do in a pinch. Cheese is also fine if that's your thing.
As previously mentioned, the traditional accompaniment to this is grilled cheese sandwiches, cut diagonally into quarters.
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no subject
on 2010-02-27 04:50 pm (UTC)I think I still have a bag of frozen corn in the chest freezer from this summer that needs using. This being the month of "use up the crap in the chest freezer before all the fresh things start appearing again", hence the zucchini bread for the dance tonight.
Grilled cheese, mmmm....
no subject
on 2010-02-27 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-02-27 06:48 pm (UTC)Picture
on 2010-02-27 10:14 pm (UTC)