Summer Corn Chowder

Author Notes

I started making this chowder in 1990 from a recipe I found in Food & Wine. Not being a fan of bell peppers, I modified it by adding poblano peppers instead and I think it tastes much better. I have also roasted the poblanos on occasion for a richer flavor It's a huge crowd pleaser! —Nancy Jo —Nancy Jo

Test Kitchen Notes

This is an understated corn chowder recipe. This is an earthy, moody corn chowder that alternates between sweet and spicy. Two kinds of chile peppers—poblano and jalapeño—are finely chopped and mixed in for heat and a bit of vibrant color against the mellow yellow soup. You can remove the seeds and veins (the white part inside the peppers), which carries most of the heat, or leave them for more kick. A small amount of ground allspice brings warmth, mellowing the heat and allowing it to blend more harmoniously with the other flavors. Chowder recipes can take or leave bacon, but it’s included here for a salty, fatty edge. At one point, we’ll have you remove some of the rendered bacon fat: you could discard it, or you could be smart and save it in the fridge for tomorrow’s hash browns. That said, you can certainly leave it out for a pescatarian-friendly recipe.

The other not-so-New England addition to this chowder recipe is tomatoes—three of them are peeled, seeded, and finely chopped. For the record, you don’t need to go through the process of peeling tomatoes. If you want to skip it, skip it! The texture will just be a little more toothsome.

The quickest and easiest way to peel tomatoes is by cutting an ‘X’ on the bottom of each (to loosen the skin) and boiling them in hot water for just a minute. Immediately transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water, thus stopping the cooking process, preserving their red color, and making them much easier to handle. Peel the skin from where the ‘X’ is.

We were also intrigued by the technique of cooking the vegetables in their own juices before adding milk and cream, which seems to intensify all the flavors. Take advantage of the “milk” from the corn—aka the white, slightly creamy liquid that cascades down the side of the cob as you cut the kernels off. This brings natural creaminess to the soup (with the help of a combination of cream and milk). It also brings the corn flavor to the forefront, which after all, is what corn chowder is all about. —The Editors