Corn Chowder
For Maanas, if last year had been a year of carrot soup, this year has been all about corn chowder. He seems to enjoy this ‘pale golden soup, with the hint of sweetness’ so much. So when we picked our first corn, there was nothing much to think but make his favorite corn chowder. A perfect ending to the summer!
Though a bit different from the traditional recipe, it is still very delicious. Grill the corn and a few, red potatoes with rosemary; combine with some coconut milk, salt, and pepper. It’s that simple.
Corn Chowder
4 ears of fresh sweet corn
4-5 red potatoes
2 sprigs of rosemary, stemmed and chopped, plus extra for garnishing
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6-8 cups of water
2 cups of coconut milk or almond milk(adjust the quantity for the desired consistency)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the grill to medium high(500° F).
Grill the corn:
Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base. Strip away the silk from each ear of corn by hand. Fold husks back into place, place them on the prepared grill, close the cover, grill for about 5 minutes, turn and grill for another 5 minutes. Remove the husks. Remove the kernels from the cob into a bowl. Save the cobs.
Grill the potatoes:
In a small bowl combine the olive oil, salt, and chopped rosemary.
Wash and slice the potatoes crosswise, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom. Drizzle the olive oil mixture onto the potatoes, working in between the slices. Wrap each potato individually in aluminum foil and grill for about 20 minutes. Once done, remove potatoes from the foil and chop into small pieces.
In a large saucepan, boil water. Add the kernels, potatoes, and the saved cobs. These cobs help add flavor and some thickness to the soup, so why not? Boil for about 15-20 minutes. Blend the soup until it’s smooth, if you like it delicate and silky; or half-blend it, leaving some pieces of sweetcorn and potatoes for texture and some crunchiness. Make sure not to blend any cobs; just leave them behind in the saucepan. Stir in the coconut milk, salt and pepper. Reheat gently, without boiling. Garnish with rosemary and serve.
Variation
Using grilled corn and potatoes do impart a delicious smoky flavor. But you can always make this soup from fresh kernels cut off the cob and potatoes, chopped into small pieces. Add a sprig of rosemary to the water to start with. Proceed the same way as above. It tastes delicious either way.
Navya getting an "ear of corn"...