Mmmmmmm..... this chowder was SO delicious I had to immediately post the recipe. With the savory, creamy broth, chunks of white cod and potato, spicy jalapeno, and sweet fresh corn and basil this soup had a depth of flavor that keeps you going back for another bite. Sean picked it out from one of our cook books, 50 Chowders by Jasper White. It's a great summer recipe because the flavor of the fresh corn and tomatoes really make a difference. I tweaked the recipe a bit by increasing the bacon, subbing in a different type of fish and amping up the heat by including the jalapeno seeds. Otherwise I stayed pretty close to the actual recipe in the book.
Ingredients:
- 3 ears of fresh corn
- 8 oz slab or sliced bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced (I included the seeds and it had a nice level of heat)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 1 1/2 lbs all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (I used 3 large russet potatoes)
- 4 cups strong fish or seafood stock (I recommend Kitchen Basics brand)
- 1 lb fresh ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 lbs skinless, boneless cod filet (other meaty white fish will work too)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Directions:
Start by husking the corn and cutting the kernels from the cob. I find the easiest way is to use a large knife, lay the corn flat on the cutting board, and then slice and rotate until you've covered the whole cob. The kernels are less likely to fly all over the place if you do it this way instead of holding the cob straight up and down as you slice.
Next, heat a large pot over medium heat and add the sliced bacon. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat has rendered. Turn up the heat a bit until it starts to crisp. If there is a lot of fat, drain some until only about 2 tablespoons remain with the bacon. Then, add the garlic and butter, stir to melt, and cook for about 30 seconds. Adding butter to bacon fat just compounds the deliciousness...
Add the onion, celery, and jalapeno to the pot with 1/2 teaspoon salt and turn heat back to medium. Saute for about 7-9 minutes until vegetables have started to soften.
Next, add the corn, potatoes, and stock. If the stock doesn't cover the potatoes, add a bit of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt if your stock is unsalted, or low in sodium. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Keep the pot covered and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 5-7 minutes. (I did 10 minutes and thought the potatoes were slightly over-cooked) If the stock hasn't thickened slighlty, mash a few of the potatoes against the side of the pot and stir.
Add the diced tomatoes, and reduce heat to low. Taste and season mixture assertively with salt and pepper. (Season now to avoid having to stir a lot once the fish has been added.)
While the chowder is simmering, add the fish and cook for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. The fish will finish cooking in this time. Gently stir in the cream and basil and taste for more salt and pepper.
 |
| Yes.... this is us. |
If you are not serving immediately, let it come to room temperature before refrigerating. Otherwise, serve the chowder and enjoy! This makes about 8 servings as a main dish. It was a big hit with our guests, I can't wait to make it again!
Prepare yourself to be wowed by this delicious collard green recipe! I'm not sure why we don't make collard greens more often, but I'm definitely going to be more inclined to pick up a bunch when I see them at the store from now on, after making this amazing recipe the other night. Not to mention they are actually good for you, and relatively inexpensive. We got a few ideas from other recipes online and created our own blend of ingredients which resulted in tender, tangy, and sweet greens that are full of flavor. These are sure to liven up any main dish. Bacon could be omitted for a vegetarian version- just use a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil to cook the onions and garlic.
Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch of collard greens
- 4 slices bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 12 oz beer (preferably a lager)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoons hot sauce, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
Directions:
Wash the greens and chop off the thick part of the stems. Slice them into 2 inch strips. Heat a large pot over medium heat and saute the bacon, stirring occasionally.
When it just starts to turn brown and crisp around the edges, add the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt.
Continue to saute for about 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent and golden. Having some brown bits stuck on the bottom is a good thing- it means more flavor after deglazing with the beer. Pour in the beer and scrape the bottom of the pot clean as it reduces.
Once the beer has reduced by at least half, add the water, hot sauce, molasses, cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. When it comes to a simmer, add the vinegar.
Start adding the greens slowly, stirring after each handful that gets added to the pot. They should be mostly covered by the time they are all in the pot and have wilted slightly. If not, add a little more water. The greens will reduce quite a bit so you don't need them to be complete covered from the start.
Bring them to a simmer, covered, and reduce to low. Cook for about one hour, stirring occasionally. Taste for more salt and/or hot sauce about half way through. When they are done, the greens will be more of an olive color and very tender. The bacon almost melts in your mouth. And the greens have such delicious flavor it's making me hungry just to think about it. These are perfect as a side dish to your savory main course.
Hoppin' John is a cheap, delicious, and pretty nutritious one-pot dinner- a great way to enjoy your New Year's day black eyed peas. (Or on any day for that matter) The addition of bacon adds some savory smoky flavor, and the red pepper flakes give it a nice kick of heat. Black eyed peas don't take as long to cook as dry beans, and you should check them often to avoid over-cooking... as I learned from experience. This is a hearty & warm winter dinner, but could also be eaten as a side dish with something like pork tenderloin. The recipe came from Michael Ruhlman's website.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked through
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 large onions, one peeled and quartered, one medium diced
- 2 carrots, cut in half
- 4 bay leaves
- kosher salt to taste
- 8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips (preferably slab bacon)
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons red pepper flakes (or more if you like it really hot)
- 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
Directions:
In a large pot, combine the rinsed black eyed peas with the quartered onion, carrots, and three bay leaves with 1 teaspoon salt Add the chicken broth and then enough water to cover the beans and vegetables by about 3 inches. This was a great opportunity to use our new ladle which has a built in measuring cup. It was great for adding the chicken stock.
Put the pot over high heat, bring it to a simmer, then turn the burner
to medium low and continue to cook until the beans are tender, 60 to 90
minutes. (As a note, mine simmered for about 60 minutes and they were a bit over-cooked. So test them earlier just in case). Add 1 more teaspoon of salt midway through the cooking. Reserve 1-2 cups of
the cooking liquid. Strain the peas, picking out and discarding the
onion, carrots and bay leaves. Pour the peas back into the pot until ready to add to the rest of the dish but keep off the heat.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook the bacon over medium-low
heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned.
Add the medium
diced onion, chopped garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook
until the onion is softened and translucent and beginning to brown, 5 to
10 minutes.
Add the cumin, pepper flakes, and black pepper, turn the
burner to medium, and stir to combine the seasonings with the onion. Add
the juice from the tomatoes. Then add the whole tomatoes, crushing them in
your hands as they go into the pot. Add the last bay leaf. Bring
this to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the
sauce.
Next, stir in the black eyed peas and heat through. Add some or all of the reserved cooking liquid if the mixture looks a little dry. Taste for more salt and/or pepper. Serve hot and enjoy!
This soup combines all of the flavors you would have in a loaded baked potato, and it comes out at the perfect creamy and thick consistency for a hearty winter soup. It is relatively simple and there aren't that many ingredients. The key is to infuse the bacon flavor into the entire soup, and then to add the creaminess by making a sauce separately that gets mixed in at the end. Best of all, there is no actual cream in the dish so it isn't as bad for you as you might think!
Ingredients:
3/4 lb bacon
5 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 green onions, sliced thinly
salt and pepper
Directions:
Dice the bacon before cooking- this allows it to cook evenly and it's already crumbled for when you add it back into the soup. In a large pot over medium, cook the bacon pieces until they are crispy, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain with a slotted spoon into a bowl lined with paper towels. Remove all but about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot.
Cook the onions, celery, and garlic in the bacon grease for about 7 minutes or until tender. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some freshly cracked pepper to the mix while cooking.
Next, add the potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. The potatoes should be fully covered. If your broth is unsalted, add a teaspoon of salt. You can always add more later, but the potatoes will have more flavor if there is some salt in the broth.
Cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes, until they are just tender. Careful not to overcook because they will get mushy. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan make your roux. Melt the butter over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour. Let the flour cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking often. Slowly add the milk and continue to whisk until all the lumps are gone. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Once the potatoes are done, scoop out a small bowl full and mash them up before returning to the pot. Add the thickened cream sauce to the soup as well, stirring to combine.
Next, add 1 cup of the cheese, half of the bacon crumbles, and half of the green onions. Let the cheese melt and stir. Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, and taste to see if you need to add more salt or pepper.
Serve with more cheese, bacon, and green onions on top. Enjoy!
