Friday, February 10, 2012

Potato & Corn Chowder with Old Bay Croutons

As part of this year's Super Bowl preparation, I was asked by CBS Minnesota to come up with New York and New England themed recipes.  I think the pretzel bites overshadowed the chowder recipe, which was a shame because this chowder is SO good!  The texture turned out perfectly -- no rogue, crunchy onion pieces -- and the flavor was rich but still mellow.  But I will tell you that the Old Bay Croutons were the hit of this chowder.  I cooked up a fair few, but only two of them lasted until I was ready to eat the soup.  The rest were eaten in a pre-dinner snacking frenzy.  If they do make it to your soup, more power to you!



Potato & Corn Chowder with Old Bay Croutons
adapted from Epicurious
serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups of vegetable stock
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ cup frozen corn
2 cups half and half
1 tablespoon dry white wine
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste

1 baguette, diced into 1-inch cubes
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning


Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Once melted, add the onion and cook until translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring, for another 2 minutes.

Whisk in the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the thyme and 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning.  Add the diced potatoes and simmer partially covered until the potatoes are tender.

Once the potatoes are tender, add the half & half and the frozen corn.  Simmer together for another few minutes.  Stir in the wine and Worcestershire sauce, taste and adjust salt & pepper.

Meanwhile, toss the cubed bread, olive oil, and Old Bay seasoning.  Arrange the bread cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer.  Bake until the bread is crisp but still has some give, about 5-8 minutes.  Serve the chowder in small bowls and top each serving with Old Bay croutons. 

2 comments:

  1. I just recently posted about a potato and corn chowder. I love the idea of old bay croutons! They sound great. I'm going to try them next time I make chowder for sure. I enjoy your blog. Meg@ourwaytoeat.com

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  2. Hi Meg! I just checked out your chowder recipe -- it looks delicious. I love the white beans! And your recent snack suggestions look delightful. Sliced radishes are delicious and not utilized enough in my snacking. I will remedy that :)

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