I love corn chowder. Actually, I love all kinds of chowder. But the idea of a chowder made with grilled corn and poblanos and red peppers blows my hair back. So, after buying 8 ears of corn from Costco and dreaming about it for a couple of nights, I decided to make this recipe. Yes, it is January, and corn is out of season in South Carolina. But it’s in season at Costco...and grown in Florida which is just south of the border. This recipe is a mashup of Josè Andrès, Rick Bayless, and Patti Jinich…I love them all. They make me think about how to make delicious food.
8ears of cornshucked, silk removed, grilled, cooled, and cut off the cob (about 3 ½ cups)
2Tolive oil
1cupwhite oniondiced
½tred pepper flakes
2poblano peppers diced(you could grill these too if you like. If you do, remove the skin)
1red pepper diced(yes, you could grill this too)
6clovesof garlic minced
1tsmoked paprika
3cupschicken stock or vegetable stock
1 ½Tflour
2sprigs Cilantro
1 ½cupsshredded cheddar, Jack, and/or cotija
1cuphalf and half or whole milk or heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3Tfresh lime juice
Crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado, and chopped cilantro to garnish
Instructions
Grill the corn, cool it, and cut it off the cob. Set aside. Prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat. Add the oil. When it shimmers, add the onions and the red pepper flakes and sauté them for 3-4 minutes. Then add the peppers and continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Finally, add the garlic and the smoked paprika and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat to low or turn it off.
Remove ½ cup of the vegetables from the pot to a blender along with about a quarter of the corn and ½ cup of stock. Blend until smooth.
Turn the heat back to medium under the vegetables, add the flour and stir to combine. Slowly whisk in the stock, then the blended veggies. Bring to a simmer, throw in a stem or two of cilantro, and cook gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Using tongs, pull out the cilantro and discard.
Add the cheese and stir to melt. Then add the half and half, continuing to heat and stir (but don’t boil).
Add the lime juice and taste, then add salt and pepper and cayenne to taste.