Reduced-Fat Corn Chowder
By Carolynn Purpura MacKayPublished on April 30, 2013
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
10 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (7 ½ cups)¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 slices bacon, chopped fine1 onion, chopped fineSalt and pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced3 ¾ cups chicken broth 1 ¾ cups 1 percent low-fat milk 10 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1 bay leaf ⅓ cup half-and-half 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Before You Begin
Don’t substitute frozen corn for fresh. Because it’s parcooked, frozen corn won’t release the starchy liquid that flavors and thickens our soup.
Instructions
- Process 3¾ cups corn kernels in food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set fine-mesh strainer over 2-cup liquid measuring cup and line strainer with double layer of cheesecloth. Transfer pureed corn to strainer, gather corners of cheesecloth together, and squeeze 1¼ cups liquid from corn into measuring cup. Discard corn solids. Whisk flour into corn liquid until no lumps remain.
- Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper; and cook, covered, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add corn liquid mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened to paste-like consistency, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth until incorporated. Cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add milk, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 minutes. Add remaining 3¾ cups corn and half-and-half and return to simmer. Simmer until kernels are tender yet firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
10 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (7 ½ cups)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 ¾ cups chicken broth
1 ¾ cups 1 percent low-fat milk
10 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
⅓ cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
10 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (7 ½ cups)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 ¾ cups chicken broth
1 ¾ cups 1 percent low-fat milk
10 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
⅓ cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
10 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (7 ½ cups)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 ¾ cups chicken broth
1 ¾ cups 1 percent low-fat milk
10 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
⅓ cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To make a healthier corn chowder with all the flavor and creaminess of the original, we hold on to the bacon, potatoes, and corn but swap the heavy cream for a combination of chicken broth, low-fat milk, and a mere 1/3 cup of half-and-half. Flour helps thicken the soup without adding extra fat, but the real trick is pureeing and straining half of the corn kernels. When this corn “juice” is cooked, the starch gelatinizes, thickening the chowder while infusing it with pure corn flavor.
Before You Begin
Don’t substitute frozen corn for fresh. Because it’s parcooked, frozen corn won’t release the starchy liquid that flavors and thickens our soup.
Instructions
- Process 3¾ cups corn kernels in food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set fine-mesh strainer over 2-cup liquid measuring cup and line strainer with double layer of cheesecloth. Transfer pureed corn to strainer, gather corners of cheesecloth together, and squeeze 1¼ cups liquid from corn into measuring cup. Discard corn solids. Whisk flour into corn liquid until no lumps remain.
- Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper; and cook, covered, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add corn liquid mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened to paste-like consistency, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth until incorporated. Cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add milk, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 minutes. Add remaining 3¾ cups corn and half-and-half and return to simmer. Simmer until kernels are tender yet firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
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