From theguardian.com
Chowder, but not as you might know it, featuring velvety potato, pungent alliums, succulent sweetcorn and the warmth of chipotle
Back in the mists of time (from the 16th century onwards), French fishermen from Brittany travelled back and forth to Newfoundland in Canada to fish. At some point along the way, it’s thought their fish and potato stew cooked in a chaudière became American chowder. Today, chowder has splintered into many variations; some are made with tomatoes and others without any fish. My recipe borrows mostly from a New England variation made with sweetcorn, and is a perfect winter warmer. In it, potato offers velvet reassurance, sweetcorn pops with optimism, leeks and onion give sweet and savoury pungency and, for a bit of sparkle, there’s a salty smoky chipotle oil to finish.
Sweetcorn chowder with smoky chipotle oil
I think this is a complete meal in itself, and doesn’t need anything else to accompany it. I’ve used frozen corn, but if you have tinned, drain a standard 198g tin to get 160g sweetcorn. You’ll need a blender.
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
75ml rapeseed oil, plus 2 tbsp extra
2 tbsp dried chipotle flakes
Fine sea salt
200g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted
2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced (225g net)
1 brown onion, peeled and finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
500g potato, peeled and cubed into 1cm cubes
2 tbsp vegetable bouillon, dissolved into 500ml water
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
1 tsp cider vinegar, or lemon juice
Make the chipotle oil first. Heat the oil in a medium to large saucepan until hot, add the chipotle flakes and a half-teaspoon of salt, then take off the heat. Swirl, leave to cool a little, then carefully pour into a heatproof bowl to cool down further.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the same pan, if need be, and put it on a high heat. When very hot, add the sweetcorn in a single layer (if possible) and leave for two minutes to char slightly. Stir, leave undisturbed for another two minutes, until you see a good bit of colour, then tip into a medium bowl.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, set it over a medium heat, then add the leeks and onion, and saute for eight minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, cook for two minutes, then add the potato, bouillon and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, and bring up to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes, until the potato is cooked through and the tip of a knife slips in and out easily.
Return the sweetcorn to the pan (if you wish, reserve a small handful to decorate the soup), add the coconut milk and vinegar, bring back to a boil, then take off the heat.
Using a stick blender, blend the soup for 10-15 seconds, to thicken it a little (or ladle a third to a half of the soup into a blender, blitz, then pour back into the pan). Taste and adjust the seasoning, if need be, then ladle into bowls, sprinkle over the reserved corn, if using, drizzle with the smoky chipotle oil and serve.
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