Author Notes
For years I've been a fan of the ethereally light and sweet corn soups we've found at some of our favorite restaurants, you know the kind, pale yellow and silky smooth, but light and fresh, not heavy, weighed down with cream. This is my take on it. —Oui, Chef
Ingredients
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12
ears of sweet corn on the cob
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1
small fennel bulb, fronds removed and reserved, bulb washed, cored and roughly chopped
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2
small leeks, pale green and white parts only, washed and sliced
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4
large shallots, peeled and sliced
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1
sweet onion, peeled and roughly chopped
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4
cloves of garlic, peeled and split
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8
sprigs fresh thyme, divided
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8
sprigs fresh parsley, divided
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8
sprigs fresh oregano, divided
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6
sprigs fresh lemon thyme, divided
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4
sprigs fresh tarragon, divided
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2
bay leaves
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1 teaspoon
fennel seed
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2 teaspoons
coriander seed
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2
sticks of butter
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1 bunch
chives
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kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Directions
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For the Corn Stock:
Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and place them in a bowl for later use. Using the back of your knife, scrape all the pulp and milk remaining on the cobs into the bowl with the kernels. Cut the cobs into 2-3 pieces and toss them into a medium sized stock pot.
To the stock pot, add the onion, leeks, shallots, garlic, chopped fennel bulb, coriander, fennel seed, and half of each of the herb sprigs. Cover the stock pot ingredients with water, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer the stock for about 45 minutes. Strain the stock, keeping the liquid and discarding the solids.
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Measure out 8 cups of the corn stock and add it to a large saucepan with the reserved corn kernels, the balance of the herb sprigs (tied into a bundle), and 1 stick of the butter (keep any extra stock on hand in case you want to thin your soup a bit later). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
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Remove the herb bundle, then puree the soup in a blender in batches, adding the remaining stick of butter in pieces, a little with each batch. Puree on high for at least 2-3 minutes per batch to make sure the kernels are well pulverized and the butter is fully emulsified with the soup.
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Return each batch to a clean saucepan, pouring through a fine mesh strainer in the process. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding back more of the reserved stock if the soup is too thick for your liking. If your soup still doesn't look completely emulsified and smooth after its time in the blender, hit it here with a stick blender to finish the job. Serve sprinkled with chopped chives and a touch of reserved fennel frond.
I am a father of five, who recently completed a two year professional hiatus during which I indulged my long held passion for cooking by moving to France to study the culinary arts and immerse myself in all things French. I earned “Le Grande Diplome” from Le Cordon Bleu, studied also at The Ritz Escoffier and Lenotre cooking schools, and completed the course offerings of the Bordeaux L’Ecole du Vin.
About six months ago started "Oui, Chef", which is a food blog that exists as an extension of my efforts to teach my children a few things about cooking, and how our food choices over time effect not only our own health, but that of our local food communities and our planet at large. By sharing some of our cooking experiences through the blog, I hope to inspire other families to start spending more time together in the kitchen, cooking healthy meals as a family, passing on established familial food traditions, and perhaps starting some new ones.
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