This Chowda {hey, I'm from bawston} is from "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" | Ina Garten.
A week or so back, I posted how I made this soup. A bunch of people were interested in how I modified her recipe so you wouldn't be two pounds heavier after eating :) So here it is...my modifications are in red.
Cheddar Corn Chowder {she's from the hamptons}
8 ounces bacon, chopped {I used 1 strip per person of turkey bacon}
1/4 cup good olive oil {I used really good olive oil}
6 cups chopped yellow onions, 4 large {I think I used 5 onions, only bc I love them}
5 tablespoons unsalted butter {I used 3 tablespoons of salted butter, bc that's all I had}
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt {I used less, and then let each person season their own bowl}
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
12 cups chicken stock {I used only 8 cups}
6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled {I used red bliss baby potatoes with the skin and made them itty bitty pieces. I probably used only 2-3 cups at the most}
10 cups of corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen {I used two bags of 16 ounces of frozen corn}
2 cups half+half {I used 1/2 cup of skim milk}
1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated {did not add this to the soup, only used a pinch of lo-fat cheese for garnish}
In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about five minutes. {I cooked the turkey as strips on a griddle, using a spray of Pam... I did not use the oil}
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
{I did not use the turkey bacon reserve, {there's not really any reserve to work with} I used the oil to cook the onions. Once they were translucent + cooked, I then added the butter}
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock + potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
{By adding the butter at the end, I let it melt, and then added the flour/salt, etc. to it, this created the rue. Also, because I like a bit of spice, I added a touch of cayenne pepper.}
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and blanch the kernels for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn, you can skip this step) {No fresh corn}
Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and Cheddar.
Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Season to taste with salt + pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.
{This is where I really modified the recipe. I ditched the half-and-half and used only 1/2 cup of skim milk and I ditched the cheese all together}
I put a pinch of lo-fat cheddar cheese on top and then crumbled some turkey bacon on top.
Added more salt + pepper etc. If you follow her recipe, it's more like a stew, while my modified recipe is more like a soup. Either way, both yummy!
Let me know if you tried it out and how you liked it!
