Wicked Good Corn Chowda

Like most everyone living in Downtown Manhattan, we aren’t from here.  Well, maybe the little one is.  But the Mrs. and I migrated from the land of the dropped Rs. We left our toasta in Worcesta, ya bastaad.  And I still occasionally say T-Pass instead of MetroCard.  So with a majority of the fam hailing from the Bay State (Taxachusetts?), we enjoy a good chowda — err, chowder.  Let’s take advantage of the last corn of the season with a nice warm bowl.

The Prep:

• Le Creuset on the stovetop.  Slab bacon, lardons.  Render.  Crisp.
• Meanwhile, veg prep therapy.  Big knife, clean board.  Get in there. Onion chopped, celery sliced. Shear corn kernels off a few cobs, reserve the cobs.  Idaho Yukon potatoes peeled, cubed and into a bowl of water (prevents browning).
• Bacon out, celery and onion in.  If it looks dry in there, add a knob of butter.  Sweat.
• Another nut of butter, then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons AP flour right in there.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown.   Welcome to your roux.  This will thicken up our chowder later.
• Pour in your milk, and then add the corn cobs (lots of flavor in there).
• Potatoes (drained) and 1 can of creamed corn in.  Add more milk if necessary to cover everything up.   Simmer gently.
• A bit later drop in half the fresh corn kernels.
• Let go until the potatoes cook through, probably 10-15 mins or so total.   Fish out the cobs, discard.  Thanks, cobs.  I see what you did there.
• White pepper, salt.  Taste, adjust.  Drop in the remaining fresh kernels.  Ready for service.

Finish with a few pickled red chillies for some color and zip, and a throw of the crisped bacon lardons.  A warm crusty baguette with salty butter alongside.

The Pros:

This tastes like the beginning of fall.  And the corn comes at you 4 ways – through the cobs, the creamed corn, the fresh kernels we put in halfway through, and the barely kissed finishing kernels.  Layers of flavor, people.

The Cons:

There’s an ongoing discussion in The Room as to how thick one’s chowder should be.  There’s a significant difference of opinion here.   If you like it thinner, use less roux.  Thicker, more roux.  If you want to debate it, you’ll have to get in line…

And a note: when you are cutting corn off a cob, hold it standing up in a metal bowl.  Run a paring knife straight down along the cob.  Turn. Repeat.  If you don’t do this in the bowl you’ll be hunting down kernels around the kitchen floor for some time.

The Takeaway:

A good chowder is home cooking at its best.  Easy, hearty and forgiving.  Roll it on out.

p.s. – Interesting times in the hood what with the “Occupy Wall Street” thing happening here.  I think they’ll declare victory and clear out as soon as their parents cut off their financing.  It would be one thing if there was a real message, but nobody’s clearly articulated why they are here or what they really want.  Plus, they seem to be employing a ‘horizontal’ management structure, which is just a disaster.  Go home already.  Maybe make some chowder.