Corn Chowder and the Blustery Day

The wind has howled around the bluff for most of the week. This morning we woke to temps in the high 30's, very dark clouds and the threat of cold rain and sleet. Ah!... fall in the North Georgia Mountains. I sat at my desk this morning watching the sleet bounce off the pavement outside and thought..

"What today needs is soup... really hearty soup....  Chowder."

... and just to set things in concrete - a friend of mine was saying how she felt like making corn chowder today. It was an omen.... and you don't mess with omens.

Fresh Corn  and Roasted Poblano Chowder
Serves 8
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Onion - Diced
1 Clove Garlic - Crushed
1 Cup Salt Pork (or Panchetta) - diced into 1/4"cubes
1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Large Box (48 Ounces) Chicken Stock
3 Cups Milk
1 Cup Water
2 Large (or 3 small) Yukon Gold Potatoes, Peeled and Cut into 1/2" dubes
5 Ears of Corn (mixed white and yellow)
1 Poblano Pepper - Roasted and peeled
1 Tablespoon Salt  (If you are using a lactose-free milk, you will need to add extra salt to conteract the sweetness of the milk)
2 Teaspoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Parsley - Chopped
1 Large Stock Pot
Something to Stir With
1 Good Sharp Knife
Soup Spoon
1 Large Bowl

• Shuck and silk the ears.
• Place the ear in a large bowl; with your knife, cut downwards towards the bottom of the bowl slicing off about 1/2 of the kernel. Rotate the ear about 20 degrees and cut. Continue rotating the ear and cutting until you have cleaned off the ear. Repeat for each ear
• Taking the soup spoon, hold the ear upright and place the bowl of the spoon at the base of the ear and scrape the ear to remove all the remaining corn pulp and juice. - Set aside
• Char the poblano pepper in the oven and place in a zipper bag to allow it to sweat. (the skin will slide off easily after about 5 minutes in the bag)
• Finely chop the roasted poblano pepper and set aside
• Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat
• Add the salt pork and cook until the fat is rendered and crispy
• Add the onion, garlic and thyme, and cook until the vegetables are soft - about 7 minutes
• Sprinkle in the flour, coating the vegetables and cook just until the flour begins to turn golden
• Raise the heat to high, add the stock and bring to a boil
• Add the milk and the potatoes and boil hard for about 10 minutes,or until the potatoes begin to break down (I actually like to sweat the potatoes in the micro for about 4 minutes first.)
• Add the corn and bring back to a boil
• Taste and adjust the salt as necessary
• Add the pepper and chopped poblanos and simmer until the corn is soft - about 15 minutes or so.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley
• Serve it up in really big bowls with  hot, homemade cornbread

 I've said it before - my mom makes the best cornbread.
... I guess everyone feel's the same way about their mother's cooking. Now, I've eaten a lot of cornbread from a lot of "good" cooks - but no one has ever come close to the spongy, moist goodness that she can turn out. I've posted the recipe before. However, I think with the chowder going on above, it bears repeating - especially since this time I've got pictures!

Fair warning - the measurements aren't exacts. But stick with me and you'll see where we're going with this.

Jane's Cornbread
Makes 24 Muffins
Ingredients
3 Eggs
As much Oil as you have Eggs
As much Buttermilk as you have Eggs and Oil Combined
3 Cups White Lily Cornmeal Mix
Cooking Spray
2 12 Muffin Tins
Large Mixing Bowl
Whisk

Click on the image to enlarge

1. If you are using cast iron muffin tins - place in the oven while it preheats
Preheat the oven to 485
Grease the tins with cooking spray (regular muffins) or shortening (cast iron)
2. Crack 3 eggs into the bowl
3. Beat the Eggs with the whisk until light and fluffy
4. Carefully pour the oil down the side of the bowl until you have as much oil as you have beaten eggs
5. Beat the eggs and oil with the whisk until smooth and lemony
Carefully pour the buttermilk down the side of the bowl until you have as much buttermilk as  combined eggs and oil
6. Stir - Do Not Beat - until the eggs and buttermilk are just combined
7. Add 3 Cups White lily Self Rising Cornmeal Mix
8. Stir with the whisk until the batter looks like pancake batter (add a little WATER if the batter is too thick)
9. Using a 1/3 Cup measure - fill the muffing tins
10. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown

Fresh Corn

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