Corn Chowder with Popcorn
Okay, I admit it, this recipe is a little weird. Weird but fun. One of my wonderful children actually requested this one.
Years and years ago I was reading a book I’d gotten from the library by the name of “Eating the Plates.” What great cook can resist such a title? It is still one of my favorite history-meets-cooking books. “Eating the Plates” is all about the first Pilgrims and how they really ate, from hard tack and vinegar on the long ocean voyage, to all of the new foods they had to adjust to when they got to the Eastern Shores of the New World. Every mom, teacher, and cook should read it.
In that book, there are recipes if you want try almost-authentic pilgrim food. One that I made was the corn soup and yes, they topped it with popcorn. (Amazing — I didn’t know they had microwaves back then!)
I didn’t care all that much for the original recipe — it had spices like nutmeg and cloves that, in my opinion, don’t really go with corn. But I’ll forgive the Pilgrims, they didn’t have access to all of the amazing spices that we do.
Anyway, last night I made a totally different version of that corn soup. Instead of the pie-like spices, I used some peppers and onions and we added cumin and red pepper. We still put popcorn on top of it and really enjoyed this meal. I served it with some quickly-made quesadillas.
Corn Chowder
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1/4 c. chopped red pepper
4 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 can cream-style corn
1 can corn, with juice
1 c. or more of milk
salt and pepper
1/4 t. cumin
dash of red pepper
In the bottom of your stock pot, melt the butter and saute the vegetables. Get all the other ingredients out and have them opened and near-at-hand. When the vegetables are soft, add the flour and stir to make a paste. Next add the milk, a little at a time. At first the paste will thicken, but stir and add more milk. It will soon make a smooth, velvetty white sauce. Next, add the corn, a bit at a time. Keep the soup over medium heat and let it return to a low boil after each addition before putting the next ingredient in. When everything has been added, turn it down to low. It should continue to bubble and thicken. This sounds a little complicated, but it’s not. It will only take about 10 minutes or so.
Pop some popcorn and sprinkle a little on top of each bowl of soup when serving. Delicious!
Enjoy!
Add comment February 2nd, 2007