Sweet Corn Chowder (All Sultried Up) and a Hunky Breton Fisherman

I’ve been making (and enjoying)  this soup for a very long time.

This corn chowder recipe first ran in the Los Angeles Times on September 30, 1998–21 years ago. The Times food section had a “Quick Fix” column at the time and this recipe was featured. This chowder hit all the right buttons for me. The corn was fresh and tender. The pairing of dairy with coconut milk was decadent. And then there was the sultry part– the hot serrano chiles that gave the soup a decided bite. I fell in love.

Although you could, this is not a recipe to make with frozen corn. This soup shines with the fresh taste of only-slightly cooked tender young kernels of white corn fresh from the fields. I’m beginning to find tender young corn at the farmer’s market and it is absolutely perfect for this dish.

Chowder has deep roots in the Americas.

Chowder dates back to the time of early North American exploration and settlement in the 15th century.  As English, French and other fishermen plied the waters off the east coast of North America, their inevitable contact spawned an appreciation for each other’s foods. As it turned out, French Breton fishermen made a particularly tasty chunky soup-stew and the hungry English fishermen took notice–and lots of seconds, apparently.  The English named the dish  “chowder” using a corrupted form of the French word for the cauldron used to make the soup, a chaudiere. These early chowders made do without the milk and potatoes that are found in most modern chowders. Milk was unavailable and the potato had not yet been introduced to North America and Europe from South America via the Columbian Exchange. Instead, salt pork, onions and ship’s biscuits (for thickening) were the main ingredients along with the fish or seafood of the day–often clams.

So, if you love chowder, hug the next Breton fisherman you run into. It was their idea. (I’m figuring that modern-day Breton fisherman look more or less like this.)

Here is my adaptation of this corn chowder recipe. It will not disappoint.

Sweet Corn Chowder

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Ingredients

• 6 ears of the freshest white corn you can find (about 4-5 cups of kernels)
• 1 medium red onion (chopped)
• 1 T. olive oil
• Salt, pepper
• 2 t. fresh serrano chiles (minced)
• 2 C. Half and Half (or whole milk)
• 1 14-oz. can of coconut milk
• 1/2 C. warm vegetable broth (or water)
• 4-5 large basil leaves
• 2 t. fresh lime juice
• Slices of jalapeno or serrano chile for garnish
• Cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the corn off the corn cobs. Set aside.
2. Saute the chopped red onion in olive oil until the onion is softened. This will take about 5 minutes. Season onions with salt and pepper to taste. Add the corn kernels and the chopped serrano chile to the sauteed red onion. Stir.
3. Add half and half and coconut milk to the corn mixture. Bring the soup to a simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes. Partially cover your pan as you do this.
4. Take the soup off the heat and remove about two cups of the corn kernels from the soup. Blend the remaining soup in your blender . Put the reserved corn kernels back into the soup and add broth as necessary to thin the soup to the consistency you want.
5. Julienne cut the fresh basil leaves and stir them into the soup. Add fresh lime juice and additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a slice of fresh chile, additional strips of fresh basil, and sprinkle a bit of cayenne pepper on the soup.

Nutrition

Calories

919 cal

Fat

70 g

Carbs

59 g

Protein

20 g

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7.8.1.2

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Here is the link to the original 1998 recipe: Sweet Corn Chowder.