Emerald Corn Chowder With Roasted Tomatillos | Rick Bayless

Emerald corn chowder sounds exotic. Roasted tomatillos and poblano are titillating choices. Combining emerald corn chowder with roasted tomatillo and poblano seems exciting and worthy of a trip to the stores and the kitchen. I’m going into new territories with this quintessential Rick Bayless Mexican dish. I like mildly spicy food, although the roasted tomatillos and poblano take it beyond my comfort zone. Taking a bite, I love the quick but disappearing burn of the chowder in my mouth.

The long name of the chowder sounds more complicated than it is. You have the choice of buying the Frontera roasted tomatillo salsa, as the recipe suggests, but I chose to invest the time to make my own. Actually, it can’t be easier.

First, get three to four tomatillos and a few green chiles (serrano and/or jalapeno), depending on your level of tolerance for heat. Meanwhile, I include a few unpeeled garlic cloves too. Put them in a sheet pan and place the pan under the broiler until the tomatillos and chiles are slightly charred on both sides, about 8-10 minutes. The second step involves a quick blitz in the blender, along with chopped cilantro and some water. That forms the base of the roasted tomatillo salsa.

The last step of this 1-2-3 approach to the roasted tomatillo salsa is mixing in the chopped raw onion. Raw onion is usually not my thing. Here is a new trick I’ve learned from watching Rick Bayless: take out the sharpness of raw chopped white onion by putting them under running water. (See his video.) That works well. I won’t be shy about adding raw onions in my salsa anymore. Hmm!

Try to think about it, the roasting technique could work well with other vegetables, say — tomato, eggplant, bell pepper — depending on what’s in season. I bet a roasted peach salsa would be delicious too, on its own. A bright salsa would make any dish shine, the way it enlivens the corn chowder with roasted tomatillos and turns it into a delightful emerald garden of good eats.

The secret sauce is the roasted tomatillo salsa

It’s tail-end of the season for local corn. I like using fresh corn at this time of the year and use the frozen kind for the cold seasons. Making corn chowder is another way of highlighting the fantastic seasonal offerings. There is really nothing to it other than sweating the aromatics and simmering everything in a pot of chicken stock. Add the corn midway through. I also save some to sprinkle on top when serving the chowder, garnished with cilantro and my favorite Vermont sourdough bread.

Fresh corn presents pops of sweetness among a sea of emerald green chowder. Sweetness of the corn sings amid the fiery of the tomatillos and poblano chile. The chowder is zesty good. I highly suggest you give it a try!

Roasted tomatillo salsa enlivens this corn chowder to the umteenth level.

Print Recipe

Emerald Corn Chowder With Roasted Tomatillos And Poblano

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• FOR THE ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA:
• 8 ounces (3 to 4 medium)tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• Fresh hot green chiles to taste (1 or 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 6 sprigs of fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off), roughly chopped
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• Salt
• FOR THE CORN CHOWDER:
• 1 small white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 large fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
• 2 cups corn kernels, either freshly cut off the cobs or frozen, depending on the season
• 2 cups Roasted tomatillo Salsa (see ABOVE)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground corn masa for tortillas or masa harina (corn flour)
• Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1

MAKE THE ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA:

2

Roast the tomatillos, chile(s) and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, until blotchy black and softening (they’ll be turning from lime green to olive), about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side. Cool, then transfer everything to a blender, including all the delicious juice the tomatillos have exuded during roasting. Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, then blend to a coarse puree. Scoop into a serving dish.

3

Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually 1/2 teaspoon.

4

MAKE THE CORN CHOWDER:

5

In a large saucepan or soup pot, cook the onion and poblano in the oil for 5 or 6 minutes until both are tender.

6

Scrape into a blender or food processor and add half of the corn and all of the salsa. Process to a smooth puree and press through a medium-mesh strainer back into the pan or pot.

7

Stir in the broth, partially cover and simmer over medium-low, stirring often, for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the corn flour with 1/4 cup water, making sure there are no lumps. Strain the mixture (you can use the same strainer) directly into the simmering pot, stirring all the while. Continue to stir until the soup thickens, then taste and season with salt. Add the remaining corn kernels, let return to a simmer, then ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro before carrying to the table.

Notes

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/emerald-corn-chowder-with-roasted-tomatillos-and-poblano/ Video for the roasted tomatillo salsa can be found in the link here: http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/roasted-tomatillo-salsa/