RECIPE: Feeling corny over corn (cob) chowder
Gimme all the fresh corn. Yellow corn. White corn. Corn arranged in tidy grocery store packs. Farmers market corn with silk tassels and the occasional organic insect. I don’t care, I love corn on the cob like it’s my job. My family, however, believes in moderation. So if I’m going to enjoy my daily dose of vegetable sunshine, I need to be creative.
This corn crab chowder ticks all the boxes for a light, yet filling (16 grams of protein!) summer supper. It uses three big ears of cooked corn, so it’s a great next-day use of leftovers. You can throw it together without heating up the kitchen. And if you don’t keep cans of crabmeat in your pantry, you can substitute shrimp or even a mild white fish to skip a trip to the market.
The fun part of this recipe is that the corn cobs simmer in the broth. This allows us to extract the corn flavors from the cobs, and, as a side benefit, means we are using as much of this precious produce as we can. It’s a trick I learned from corn stock recipes, which magically transform what would otherwise be corn cob waste into a delicious stock. Thanks to the sweet corn goodness and the savory crab flavors, you don’t need much else to season this soup. A few shakes of salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice are all you need to bring the best summer flavors to your table.
- 3 large ears of cooked corn on the cob
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
- 2 cups peeled, diced russet potatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 (6-ounce) cans of crab, drained and flaked with a fork
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 green onion, chopped
- Cut the corn kernels from the cob, reserving the cobs and setting the kernels aside. You should have about 3 cups of corn kernels.
- Heat the oil in a 3-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are soft and light brown, about 8 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the broth and water, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the reserved corn cobs to the pot. When the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 30 minutes longer.
- Turn off the heat and use tongs to remove the cobs. Use an immersion blender to carefully blend the chowder until it is almost completely smooth. Add the crab and corn kernels, and allow the residual heat to warm the crab and corn kernels through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and adjust seasonings. Garnish with green onion and serve hot. Serves 6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 192 calories (percent of calories from fat, 20), 16 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 55 milligrams cholesterol, 460 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
