Friday Recipe - 2/22/08

Because it's supposed to rain here today and because it's snowing/icing elsewhere in the country. Or at the very least it may well be damn cold where you are.

Oh, and because anything by Paula Deen, especially with this much butter, must be good. And it's SUPAH easy. You, yes YOU can do this. Especially if you buy frozen, chopped onion. It'll save you a step, and as far as I'm concerned, not having to chop onion is a HUGE advantage. Oh, and if you're a vegetarian, you can just use Vegetable Broth instead of Chicken Broth. But you probably already knew that.

Chef Jack's Corn Chowder

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 small onion, diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 small celery stalk, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups white corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups half-and-half
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. (Stir constantly, don't let the rue darken too much or you'll have to start over 'cause it'll taste icky) Cook until the roux is lightly browned; set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, combine the corn and chicken stock in another saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the boiling stock with the corn (a little at a time) into the saucepan with the roux, whisking briskly so it doesn't lump. Return the skillet to the heat and bring to a boil. The mixture should become very thick.

In a small saucepan, gently heat the half-and-half; stir it into the thick corn mixture. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste. Just before serving, cut the remaining stick of butter into large chunks. Add it to enrich the soup, stirring until the butter melts.

*Now come on, that's easy, right? And don't let the term "Rue" scare you. It's simply equal parts of butter (or other fat like olive oil) and flour that you mix together and use to thicken soups and stews, or sauces. That's not scary, is it? Nope...it's yummy.