Cheddar Corn Chowder

October 8th, 2009

The Barefoot Blogger challenge for this week was chosen by Jill of My Next Life. I love a good chowder and Ina Garten knows how to make a chowder that sticks to the ribs. Fresh corn this time of year is starchier than the succulent small kerneled variety of early summer so it is perfect for chowder. The potatoes add heft and earthiness to the dish and the bacon and cheese just make it darn good. There is turmeric in the recipe and I was curious as to why she chose that spice until I added it to the pot. The turmeric enhances the golden hue of the dish. Some might think that the chowder is a bit bland but sometimes it is good to let the natural flavors take star billing.

The only change I made to the recipe was to leave out the olive oil, because I figured that the bacon fat and butter were more than adequate in the fat department. I also halved the recipe because it makes enough to feed a food blog convention.

CHEDDAR CORN CHOWDER

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds) I peeled mine
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half and half
1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot on medium high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and tumeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and blanch the kernels for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn, you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and Cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

15 responses to “Cheddar Corn Chowder”

  1. Katy ~ says:

    Corn chowder is one of my all time favs for cold weather soup. Can’t tell you how MANY times we eat this during the cold seasons. I think I am not too keen on cheese in soup, but this chowda does sound especially delicious and certainly looks more than delicious. Would make a very happy tummy indeed!

  2. girlichef says:

    Wow, this is decadent! I would love a big bowl of this 🙂

  3. Mmm, so comforting for the fall weather.
    Leave it to Ina to use 3 kinds of fat!

  4. Beautiful looking chowder.

    I only halved the amount of liquid…and didn’t add tumeric.

  5. Mary says:

    This looks delicious and in all the years I’ve used Ina’s recipes I was only disappointed once. Thanks for the recommendation and a lower fat version.

  6. Karen says:

    Can’t go wrong with one of Ina’s recipes… this looks delicious!

  7. If you check out my blog I used my emulsion blender b/f adding the corn for a smooth consitency, your’s looks good too.
    stayingclosetohome.blogspot.com

  8. Fabulous looking chowder. Perfect for our rainy weather. Do you have a problem with turmeric staining your hands and anything else it gets near? I do.
    Sam

  9. Lynda says:

    I want this now; it is rainy and cool here, so this yummy soup would really hit the spot! I love the addition of cheese!

  10. TKW says:

    I tinkered with the recipe as well–a bit too fattening for my taste, so I left the olive oil out as well. Glad you enjoyed yours!

  11. Kate says:

    Beautifully done, and I scaled back all the fats as well.

  12. Me! says:

    mmmm I want another bowl now. I was pretty happy with this recipe as well. I left out the butter rather than the oil and I used milk rather than half and half.

  13. TNF says:

    i was a big fan of this recipe as well!

  14. Erica says:

    Fantastic recipe for a cold day!

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