Sweet corn chowder is a savory, versatile dish

Like many people interested in food, I frequently visit online cooking websites and chefs’ blogs while also subscribing to several magazines, such as Milk Street and Bon Appetit. When the most recent edition of the latter arrived, I paged through looking for inspiration and a destination for my latest collection of fresh produce, which included a half-dozen ears of sweet white corn.

Near the back of the magazine was an article with the punny title of Corn in the USA, described as senior editor Andy Baraghani’s “slurpable ode to summer’s golden child.” The enticing photograph featured clams still in their open shells, sitting in a bath of corn chowder, with scattered cilantro leaves and drizzles of chorizo oil.

By definition, a chowder is different from a simple soup. The name chowder comes from the Latin “calderia” for cooking pot, which evolved to the French chaudière, also the root of our word cauldron. Food historians trace the source of chowder to seafaring villages along both sides of the English Channel. Breton fishermen brought the custom to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and into New England.

Chowders come in three styles: chunky white, briny and clear, and tomato-based. The last of these is familiar to those who enjoy Maryland crab soup or Manhattan clam chowder, both of which combine the signature seafood ingredient with potatoes, onions, and seasonings in a not-too-thick tomato broth. A Rhode Island favorite is clear-broth clam chowder, which uses the steaming liquid as its base.

The chunky white chowder variety is the one I typically think of when I hear the word chowder. This originated as a shipboard dish made from chunks of seafood seasoned with salt pork and thickened with hardtack. This has evolved into versions that use potatoes as thickeners (although some recipes still call for crushed crackers) and often has a portion of the final product puréed and stirred back into the soup pot.

As I read through the recipe for the clam and corn chowder in Bon Appetit, I wasn’t sure of the ingredients and approach, which seemed a cross between a brothy and a creamy chowder. For me, the ingredients of corn chowder need to be subtle and companionable to allow the sweetness of the corn to shine, and I couldn’t imagine skipping the milk or cream.

Of course, with all due respect to the venerated and popular Bon Appetit, I then started wondering if I was off the mark. If you look at the traditional creamy corn chowder recipes, you typically start with bacon, keeping the crisp bits and a small amount of the rendered fat – not that different from the chorizo oil. I’ve sometimes quick-cooked shrimp in corn chowder – not that different from adding clams.

The one thing that seemed inexact was not knowing how much clam broth might be left in the pot after steaming them with the sautéed onion and garlic. The addition of three cups of water seemed like a bit too much and might create a watery broth once the chowder was finished. It must have worked, as the magazine tests its recipes.

I ultimately decided to make my standard (ordinary) version of corn chowder. It’s not a deep yellow in color because I used white corn (see photo), but the sweet flavor was delicious. I’ve also included the Bon Appetit recipe if you have some clams on hand and want to try a dairy-free version. There’s lots of corn season still ahead to make chowder.

Corn and Clam Chowder*

3 T olive oil
4 oz fresh chorizo
1 t smoked paprika
2 T olive oil
1 chopped onion
6 sliced garlic cloves
24 littleneck clams, scrubbed
4 ears fresh corn
1 T fresh lime juice
cilantro for garnish

Heat 3 T oil in a large pot over medium-high. Remove the casing from the sausage and add to the pot. Break the sausage into smaller pieces, cooking until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika and stir to combine. Remove mixture to a small bowl. Wipe out pot and add 2 T oil. Add onions and garlic; cook over medium until softened, about 10 minutes. Add clams to the pot; cover and cook until clams open, about 7 minutes. Remove opened clams to a bowl and return pot to the heat to steam any remaining clams for 4 more minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened, removing cooked clams to the bowl; cover with a foil tent. Add 3 C water to the liquid in the pot and bring to a simmer. Shuck corn and cut kernels from the cobs; discard cobs. Add corn kernels to the simmering water and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat and use an immersion blender to puree about one-third of the mixture to thicken the chowder. Stir in lime juice and season to taste with salt. Divide chowder among 4 shallow bowls and evenly distribute steamed clams. Drizzle each bowl with a little chorizo oil mixture and garnish with cilantro. Yield: 4 servings. *Adapted from Bon Appetit.

Simple Corn Chowder

3 chopped bacon slices
1 chopped onion
1 russet potato
2 minced garlic cloves
3 ears corn
2 1/2 C whole milk
1 t paprika
pinch cayenne
1/2 t thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
snipped chives for garnish

Fry the bacon pieces until crispy in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain off all but 1 T of the fat. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Peel and dice the potato; add to the pot along with the garlic. Cut the kernels from the ears of corn; set aside kernels and add cobs to the pot. Pour in milk and stir to combine. Cook until potatoes have softened slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the corn cobs. Add corn kernels, paprika, cayenne and thyme. Simmer until corn is tender, about 3 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend about half of the soup until creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chowder into 4 soup bowls; garnish with crisped bacon pieces and snipped chives. Yield: 4 servings.