Roasted Corn and Poblano Chowder

By johnwhorfin

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 2 poblano chiles, stemmed, halved lengthwise, and seeded
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
• 6 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (about 5 1/4 cups)
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper, divided
• 4 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 7 cups (1,680 ml) chicken broth
• 1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) half-and-half
• 2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Queso fresco cheese, to garnish

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 75mins
Adapted from browneyedbaker.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler and preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss the poblanos with 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Arrange cut-side-down in a single column against a short side of the baking sheet.

2. Toss the corn, remaining 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper in the bowl. Spread into an even layer over the rest of the baking sheet. Broil until the poblanos are mostly blackened and the corn is well-browned and tender, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping the poblanos and stirring the corn halfway through broiling.

3. Place the poblanos in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the skins and finely chopped the poblanos; set aside.

4. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt to the bacon drippings and cook until the onion is softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

5. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, roasted corn and ½ teaspoon of salt to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Cook at a steady simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the half-and-half.

6. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a blender. Add the tortilla pieces and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Return the pureed chowder to the pot and stir in the chopped poblanos. Return to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Stir in the minced cilantro, lime juice, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Serve and garnish with the bacon and crumbled quest fresco.

Note #1: Half-and-half is commonly sold in the U.S. It is essentially a blend of whole milk and heavy cream - use this 50/50 substitution if you cannot find it where you live.

Note #2: I couldn't bring myself to cook just 4 slices of bacon on a Sunday morning, so I made a big batch in the oven (how I normally cook bacon) and poured off the drippings. I approximated about 2 tablespoons of drippings for 4 slices of bacon, if you want to do the same and go straight to the onion.