CORN CHOWDER

I had never heard of corn chowder until I moved to Maine in 1988. One very cold winter day - they're all cold in Maine in winter -  I went into the restaurant down the street from my office and asked the waitress to tell me about the soups of the day. She said they had just made corn chowder. When I asked what that was, her description of it encouraged me to try it and I found it wholesome, filling and perfect for the snowy weather outside.

The recipe that follows is my favorite and I serve this often, especailly in winter. I's very satisfying and, with crusty bread and a big, green salad, makes a perfect meal. It's a frontier kind of dish so if you're making a meal of it, serve it with beer. Otherwise, it can be a first course, but make the rest of the meal fairly light fare. Since I don't like cilantro, I leave that out and substitute parsley.

CORN CHOWDER

serves 6

4-oz sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 T unsalted butter

2 C chopped onions

2 T unbleached, all-purpose flour

4 C chicken stock, preferably home-made but, if you're in a hurry, canned is okay

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice

1 C half and half

4 C cooked canned corn kernels, drained of liquid (or if you're using fresh corn, see note below)

3/4 t coarsely ground black pepper

salt to taste

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4" dice

3 scallions, white bulb part and 3 inches of green, cut into 1/4" slices

1 T chopped cilantro (or parsley) for garnish

1. Wilt the bacon in a large soup pot over low heat until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and allow it to melt.

2. Add the onions and wilt over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, another five minues.

3. Add the stock and potatoes. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the potatoes are just tender, 12 - 15 minutes. (You can test this by smashing a potato against the side of the pot)

4. Add the half and half, corn, pepper and salt. Cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add the bell pepper and scallions, adjust the seasonings, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, or if using, parsley.

This can be made ahead and re-heated just before serving and, as with most stew-like dishes, is even better the next day.  If you want lower calories, you can substitute whole milk for the half and half but the flavor will not be as rich.

Note: to cook sweet corn, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the shucked ears of sweet corn, remove the pot from the heat, cover it and let it stand for no more than 3 minutes. Remove the corn and when cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off the cob. If you have a bundt pan, place the cob of sweet corn in the middle. Slicing is then easy and the corn kernels fall naturally into the trough of the pan.