Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes
Chef ETL’s Hearty Corn and Potato Chowder
A Labor of Love in Every Spoonful
Get ready to taste the difference that comes with putting in the time and effort to create a truly exceptional soup. Chef ETL’s recipe is a testament to the fact that great things come to those who wait—every minute spent carefully crafting and honing this dish yields delicious, mouth-watering results that will have you savoring every spoonful.
A Multi-Phase Masterpiece
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with the Chef’s multi-phase corn chowder. This expertly crafted dish starts with an emulsified base of sofrito and potatoes, which serves as the perfect canvas for the addition of sweet and crunchy corn kernels, hearty chopped veggies, and perfectly cooked potatoes. The herb and spice blend creates a symphony of savory flavors that take this soup to the next level. And with its smooth, creamy texture that’s not too rich, you’ll be craving every last spoonful.
The Key to a Perfect Base
This chowder’s depth of flavor begins with a carefully prepared sofrito—a medley of bacon, onions, green bell peppers, carrots, garlic, celery, and green chili peppers. The sofrito is elevated with a unique blend of herbs and spices, including oregano, basil, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and black pepper. A splash of dry white wine enhances the richness, creating a foundation that brings out the best in every ingredient.
Building the Body of the Chowder
The heart of this chowder lies in its combination of russet and sweet potatoes. These two varieties provide both structure and sweetness, ensuring each bite is packed with flavor and texture. A portion of the potatoes is emulsified with the sofrito and corn mixture, creating a luxuriously thick and creamy base. This step is essential for achieving the signature consistency of Chef ETL’s chowder while maintaining the delightful contrast of whole corn kernels and potato chunks.
Achieving the Perfect Consistency
A careful balance of chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, and creamed corn ensures the chowder is creamy without being overly rich. The final step is all about melding flavors together, allowing the ingredients to simmer until the potatoes are tender, and the chowder reaches the ideal consistency. For those without an immersion blender, a food processor can be used to emulsify half of the cooked potatoes, 1 1/2 cups of the sofrito/corn mixture, and the chicken broth—pulsing until blended while leaving some texture intact.
Tips for Optimal Preparation
To make the cooking process smoother, it’s best to use one large saucepan and one Dutch oven. If a Dutch oven isn’t available, two large saucepans work just fine. For those using a food processor instead of an immersion blender, blending in batches ensures the right consistency without over-processing.
Savor Every Spoonful
Every step of this recipe is designed to extract the maximum amount of flavor and texture, culminating in a chowder that’s hearty, satisfying, and utterly delicious. Whether enjoyed on a chilly evening or served as a comforting meal any time of year, Chef ETL’s Hearty Corn and Potato Chowder is a dish that rewards patience with every bite. Gather your ingredients, take your time, and experience the magic of this masterfully crafted soup.
Ingredients:
POTATOES:
3 each Russet potatoes, pealed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 each sweet potatoes, pealed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
SOFRITO/CORN MIXTURE:
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium white onions, finely chopped
1 each green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup green chili peppers, canned, drained
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup white wine (dry)
1 pound corn kernels, frozen (divided into 1 cup & 2 cups)
CHOWDER:
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 can creamed corn, canned
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions:
POTATOES (45 minutes):
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, then
reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook the potatoes uncovered for about 25 minutes or until they are tender, but not mushy, when pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and set aside. Return about half of the cooked potatoes to the saucepan, reserving the remainder for later use in the recipe.
SOFRITO/CORN MIXTURE (while potatoes cook):
In a Dutch oven (or another large saucepan), cook the bacon, over moderately high heat, stirring occasionaly until browned.
Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon and set aside on
paper towels.
In the residual bacon fat, cook the onions, bell pepper, carrot, garlic, celery, chilies, oregano, basil, cumin, and corriander, smoked paprika, and pepper, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the wine, scraping up any brown bits, for cook for 1 minute.
Add 2 cups of the frozen corn kernels and stir into the mixture.
IMMERSION BLEND (10 minutes):
Remove 1-1/2 cups of the sofrito/corn mixture and add it to the potatoes that are in the saucepan.
Pour the chicken broth into the saucepan containing half of the cooked potatoes and the sofrito/corn mixture.
With an immersion blender (or electric mixer), blend the contents until combined but leave some small chunks and bits.
FINISH CHOWDER (35 minutes):
Add the contents of the saucepan to the remaining sofrito/corn mixture in the Dutch oven.
Add the remaining cooked potatoes, remaining 1 cup of frozen corn kernels, milk, cream, can of creamed corn and salt.
Simmer the chowder, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon.
TIP: It is best to use 1 large saucepan and 1 Dutch oven for this recipe. However, 2 large saucepans works fine.
TIP: A food processor can be used for the immersion blending phase of the recipe. Just add half of the cooked potatoes, 1-1/2 cups of the sofrito/corn mixture, and the chicken broth to the processor and pulse until blended, leaving some bits for texture. If needed, repeat in batches until desired consistency is reached.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 251 Calories; 12g Fat (43.7% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 33mg Cholesterol; 728mg Sodium; 7g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 94mg Calcium; 1mg Iron; 640mg Potassium; 145mg Phosphorus. Exchanges: .