I'm so corny! Corn chowder, perfected.

I have a confession to make. I don't really like creamy soups. Chicken noodle, tortilla, and even chili are all awesome, but there's something about a thick, rich, creamy soup that is just...too much. At least, that's what I've said for about as long as I can remember. I may have to take it all back, thanks to the folks over at America's Test Kitchen. They've taken corn chowder to a whole new level- it tastes like an August afternoon. This recipe is absolutely a keeper, (which shouldn't be a surprise considering how good every single one of their recipes is. I'm not kidding- If you've never tried anything of theirs, click on the link above and decide on what's for dinner tonight.) the only change I may try will be roasting the corn before cutting it off the cob.

First, gather your ingredients. You'll need:

8 ears of corn, cleaned
3 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 onion, finely chopped
4 slices of bacon, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" pieces
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
5 cups water
3/4 lb red potatoes (or yukon gold) cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup half-and half
sugar
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1. First things first. Using a paring knife, remove all the kernels from the cobs. (Don't cut too deep- you only want the tender part of the kernel.) In a separate bowl, use a vegetable peeler and scrape down the cobs, getting as much of the pulp off as you can. Put the pulp into a clean, thin dishcloth. Now squeeze. Hard. Get all of those juices out of the pulp- this is what takes this chowder to a whole other lever. You should get at least 2/3 cup of corn juice. Set it aside and get rid of the now utterly depleted cobs and pulp- they have served their purpose!

2. Melt the butter. Use a Dutch oven and medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, thyme, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Cook until the onion is softened and just starting to brown, making sure to stir often. Add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the water to the pot slowly, whisking the entire time to break up any clumps of flour. Bring to a boil, add the corn kernels and potatoes and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-18 minutes. Remove two cups of the soup and puree in a blender until smooth. (I just used my measuring cup to scoop it out of the pot; you don't need to be super precise here.) Add the pureed soup back into the pot, add the half-and-half and return it yet again to a simmer. Remove the chowder from the heat, pour in the reserved corn juice, and season to taste using salt, pepper, and up to 1 tablespoon of sugar (although, if your corn is in season, you may not need any at all. I didn't!) Garnish with the basil, and enjoy!

Okay, so maybe a creamy soup isn't so bad. This was definitely a hit with the whole family, from my one year old Beast (she's discovered growling...the name just fits!) to my vegetable-avoidant husband. I need to go buy more corn!

The original recipe, along with the recipe commentary is here.

Kate