RECIPE: A Special Corn Chowder Recipe For National Clam Chowder Day
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It’s winter, it’s cold, and February 25th is National Clam Chowder Day. We’ve got several clam chowder recipes below, but we wanted to take advantage of a chowder holiday to share this recipe with you: Corn chowder topped with your choice of cod, haddock, halibut, salmon, sea bass, scallops or shrimp. You can choose one fish or two—and yes, you can even add clams. Before we get to the recipe, we’d like to share some comments from the great American chef Jasper White, in his book 50 Chowders. He shares that the oldest-known printed chowder recipe is for fish chowder, from the Boston Evening Post on September 23, 1751. It calls for onions, pork, salt, pepper, parsley, sweet marjoram, savory and thyme—ingredients that are still used today. The chowder was served with a biscuit topping. The biscuit was later replaced by oyster crackers or saltines served with the soup instead of on top of it. But if you’re up for baking biscuits, revive the tradition! Chowder is much older than the first printed recipe, of course. Here’s the history of chowder. Although you might prefer to make this recipe with summer corn, we used frozen corn with no perceivable diminution of flavor. The recipe is ready in 30 minutes. Add the optional half-and-half for extra creaminess. If you’re using corn on the cob, see the note below under Preparation. This recipe was created for the Idaho Potato Commission by food blogger Sylvia Fountaine of Feasting At Home. Take a look at her blog: You’ll want to make everything! Ingredients 1. HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. 2. ADD the potatoes and corn. Sauté 2-3 minutes; then add the stock or water and the salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and simmer 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. While the potatoes are simmering… 3. HEAT the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in another skillet. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and sear each side over medium high heat. Lower the heat and cook to your desired doneness. Set aside. When the potatoes are fork tender… 4. UNCOVER the potatoes and cook off a little of the liquid. If desired, add a few tablespoons of half and half or soy milk for a little extra creaminess (cook for a minute or two to thicken). 5. STIR in half of the basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Right before serving… 6. STIR in the remaining basil, saving a little for the top garnish. Dish up the chowder and top with the seared fish and basil. NOTE: If using corn cobs, for even more corn flavor, scrape the cobs with the end of a knife and gather the “milk.” Place this along with the cobs (you can cut them smaller) into a pan or pot, covered with water, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes to make corn stock. Reduce to one cup. Corn is the third-most consumed cereal grain in the world, after rice and wheat, respectively. Many of us eat corn as a vegetable, not a grain. According to the Whole Grains Council, corn is both grain and vegetable, depending on its state. |
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________________ *One average corn on the cob yields 3/4 up kernels. A 10-ounce package of frozen corn yields about 2½ cups. If you do use fresh corn cobs, don’t throw out the spent cobs. You can use them to add depth and flavor to other soups and chowders. Stick them in the freezer until you need them.
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