This week I’m bringing a fantastic autumnal and comforting recipe that only need a few ingredients. The key is the creaminess and mix of sweet and salty flavour that makes it so unique. I haven’t posted a “flavours of the world” recipe for a while so here’s this creamy corn chowder.
This is probably an unfamiliar recipe for most of you (in Spain) so I’ll tell you some more about it. This corn soup is a classic in North America when the cold weather arrives and the original name is “corn chowder“, there are also other popular variants made with clams and seafood. According to history the word “chowder” comes from the french “chaudière”, a sort of metallic cooking pot that was already in use in England and Brittany (France) back in the 16th century. On the other hand, old writings make us believe that at that time native americans from the atlantic coast used to prepare these thick soups using local fish and seafood and later on it will start being made with corn, so abundant in North America.
This soup normally is thick, creamy and very rich and does not have much broth therefore is is substantial and satiating. You can use canned sweet corn but it is much better to use corn cobs, to make it easier you can buy them already cooked. We will actually be using the cobs to make the broth since they have so much flavour. According to the tradition this soup is always made with cream or milk (or a mix of both), sometimes it has bacon and salted crackers sprinkled over it, however I don’t usually add them and I use vegetable cream.
So here’s a vegan and gluten free version of this corn chowder and the recipe!
CREAMY CORN AND POTATO CHOWDER
- 4 sweet corn cobs, cooked
- 4 medium potatoes
- 1 big onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tsp. corn starch
- 1 L. vegetable broth
- 100 ml. rice milk (or any other)
- 150 ml. rice cream (or other of your choice)
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- Fennel seeds
- Salt
ELABORATION:
- First of all remove the corn from the cobs using a knife .
- Put the cobs in a pot with the peppercorns, fennel seeds, salt and the broth. Cook for around 15 minutes.
- In the meantime pour some olive oil in another cooking pot (use butter instead if you like), add the chopped garlic and onion, and the corn (chopped a bit as well) and stir fry until the onion gets golden.
- Add the corn starch and stir well.
- Peel and cut (small chunks) the potatoes in the meantime.
- When the broth is ready, strain it and remove the cobs, peppercorns and fennel seeds. Pour gradually the broth in to the other pot stirring at the same time. Bring to the boil.
- Add the totatoes and some salt. Cook for around 10 minutes or until the potatoes are done.
- Pour the milk and cream and mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Use a food processor or blender to mash 1/4 of the soup until you get a creamy texture.
- Mix with the rest of the soup and done!
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