ISO: Corn and Tomato Chowder recipe

[lisas3575]

I had a wonderful bowl of corn and tomato chowder this week at a restaurant. Does anybody have a recipe, or should I just try making corn chowder and throwing in a handful of tomatoes towards the end?

[stieglitzcat]

Here's a recipe from Jasper White's 50 Chowders - One-pot Meals -- Clam, Corn and Beyond

3 medium ears fresh yellor or bicolor corn
4 ounces slab (unsliced) bacon, rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 meduim onion (7 to 8 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 to 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
1 pound Yukon Gold, or othe all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 cups Chicken Stock or chicken Broth
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 cup heavy cream

For garnish
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or thinly sliced scallions

1. Husk the corn. Carefully remove most of the silk by hand and then rub the eas with a towel to finish the job. Cut the kernels from the cobs and place in a bowl. You should have about two cups. using the back of your knife, scrape down the cobs and add the milky substance that oozes out of the corn kernels.
2. Heat a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp and golden brown. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.
3. Add the butter, onion, bell pepper, thyme, cumin and turmeric and saute, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about eight minutes, until the onion and pepper are tender but not browned.
4. Add the corn kernels, potatoes, and stock, turn up the heat, cover, and boil vigourously for about 10 mintues. Some of the potatoes will have broken up, but most should retain their shpae. Use the back of your spoon to smash a bit of the corn and potatoes against the side of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and season the chowder with salt and pepper.
5. Stir the cornstarch mixture and slowly pour it into the pot, stirring constantly. As soon as the chowder has come back to a boil and thickened slightly, remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely.
6. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Ladle into cups or bowls and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Makes about 7 cups; serves 6 as a first course

Variation: Corn Chowder with Tomato and Basil
Peel 1/2 pound ripe red tomatoes; Score an X in the bottom of each tomato. Drop into a pot of boiling water for about 30 second, until the skins loosen. Cool the tomatoes in ice water, drain, and pull off the skin. Quarter the tomatoes and cut out their juicy centers, reserving them for anothe use. Cut the tomato flesh into 1/2-inch dice; you should have about 3/4 cup. Add the tomatoes to the chowder right after you add the cornstarch (Step 5). When you remove the chowder from the heat, stir in the two tablespoons of chopped fresh basil along with the cream.

Variation: Southwestern-style Corn Chowder
Increase the cumin to one teaspoon. Just before you add the cornstarch (Step 5), add one small poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into small to medium dice. After you add the cream, stir in two or more tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

Variation: Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes
to make this delectable sweet chowder, substitute one pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice, for the white potatoes. Sweet potatoes cook a little faster than all-purpose potatoes, so reduce the cooking time to about eight minutes, then proceed with the recipe as instructed.

[lisas3575]

Thanks everyone, and especially you, stieglitzcat, for typing in that wonderful (and long!) recipe.

To see how it all turned out, check here:
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25490