The Best Summer Fresh Corn Chowder

This soup showcases the sweet flavors of summer corn. It’s creamy and hearty, with added diced potatoes and bell pepper. Instead of salt pork, I substituted bacon. I also made my easy Skillet Bread Rolls for a complete and satisfying meal.

The first day of Fall slipped quietly by. I barely noticed. The climate, where I live, usually brings warm and beautiful weather– but, then it can change to be overcast and cool.  My garden is so confused.  So is my palate. This is the time of year when I still want to grill summer veggies, and yet my yearning for home baked bread and soups starts to kick into gear.

I had an itch for Corn Chowder and home baked bread that needed to be scratched.  I’ve made Ina Garten’s Cheddar Corn Chowder, but I wanted to try a different version.  I had bookmarked a version from Cook’s Illustrated, a while ago, because it had many positive reviews.   Soup and bread is hard to resist, so I decided to make one of my husband’s favorite bread recipes– Buttered Rosemary Skillet Rolls.   These rolls are  one of the easiest– and most faithful– recipes you’ll ever make. Just look at the pool of melted butter! Doesn’t it make you swoon?

I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve made these rolls. I use instant yeast, and it takes about 10 minutes for me to make the dough, using a stand mixer with a dough hook.  The dough rises, perfectly, in about 45 minutes.  Once shaped into rolls, the second rise takes about 20 minutes.

TIP: I turn my oven to WARM for one minute, then turn it off.  This acts as an “incubator” for my dough, and speeds up the process of proofing the dough.The rolls bake in about 25 minutes. (I bake them in my beloved cast iron skillet). You can use a cake pan, if you wish.

What’s missing in this post? I’ll tell you.  My typical step-by-step photos are!  I hadn’t planned on blogging about the soup, nor the rolls.   I really just wanted to re-shoot the rolls, as the finished shots on my original post didn’t turn out right.  (This is what happens when you don’t check your lens, and you’ve smeared melted butter all over it.)   Fortunately, I automatically photograph most anything I eat. My friends are used to it, now.  I’m glad that I did, because the soup recipe is worth sharing with you.

TASTING NOTES: I have to tell you that the Corn Chowder was so satisfying.  I have to share it with you. I owe it to you.  It was creamy, and I did not miss not adding cheese to it, as I’ve done in previous recipes.  Some of the corn kernels are reserved, and added towards the very end of the cooking time. This gives the soup a texture of creamy, with some crunchy al dente texture of fresh corn. I loved it. I didn’t have salt pork, so I used regular bacon– and that worked just fine. I did add some finely chopped red bell pepper, to the recipe.  I liked the color, and the flavor, that it contributed to the soup.  As for the bread…

I love this recipe. There’s something about sea salt & fresh rosemary that makes these rolls very addictive.

This meal represented the flavors of summer corn, and the promise of home-baked bread, with fall weather.  Both of these recipes will remain in my regular rotation file. They’re both that good!  You can see step-by-step photos on how to make these rolls here.   

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Fresh Corn Chowder

Hearty Corn Chowder is one of my favorite soups to make. Even better, these Buttered Rosemary Skillet Rolls are not only easy to make– they are incredibly good. I'm sharing two recipes that are one of our family favorites.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Servings: 8

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

• 10 ears corn medium, husks and silks removed
• 3 ounces salt pork trimmed of rind and cut into two 1-inch cubes (note: I used regular bacon, which worked out fine)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large onion preferably Spanish, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic medium; minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium red potatoes about 12 ounces, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
• 1 small red bell pepper optional, my adaption
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• Ground black pepper

Instructions

• Stand corn on end. Using chef’s knife, cut kernels from 4 ears corn (you should have about 3 cups); transfer to medium bowl and set aside. Following illustrations below, grate kernels from remaining 6 ears on large holes of box grater, then firmly scrape any pulp remaining on cobs with back of knife (you should have 2 generous cups kernels and pulp). Transfer to separate bowl and set aside.
• Sauté salt pork (or quality thick-cut bacon) in Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, turning with tongs and pressing down on pieces to render fat, until cubes are crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, stir in butter and onions, cover pot, and cook until softened, about 12 minutes. If using, add the chopped red bell pepper in the last five minutes of cooking the onion.
• Remove salt pork and reserve.
• Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, gradually add stock. Add potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, milk, grated corn and pulp, and reserved salt pork; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add reserved corn kernels and heavy cream and return to simmer; simmer until corn kernels are tender yet still slightly crunchy, about 5 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf and salt pork. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 898mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 869IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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Homemade Buttered Rosemary and Sea Salt Skillet Rolls

These are incredibly tender and delicious homemade bread rolls, baked in a cast-iron skillet, then doused with melted butter, chopped rosemary and a little sea salt. These can be ready in less than hour, and they are tender and so addictive!

Servings: 9 rolls

Calories: 358kcal

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water 105°F to 110°F
• 1 pkg bread machine yeast or instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup milk just to scalding hot (do not simmer or boil)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour dough will be somewhat sticky, but the less you use, the lighter the rolls
• 1 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten optional
• 2 tablespoons butter melted, for brushing

Garnish:

• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt not table salt!

Instructions

• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Stir in the 2 teaspoons of sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until mixture foams up.

  If using instant yeast, there is no need to dissolve it in the water and sugar. Just add to the dry ingredients.
• Heat milk in microwave (or in small saucepan on stove top)
• Add sugar, butter, salt to hot milk and stir until butter is melted. Cool to 105°F to 110°F.
• Pour milk mixture into bowl of stand mixer.
• Add the yeast mixture; egg and mix together.
• Mix in all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten (if using), beating to form a soft dough. Knead with mixer for 5 minutes, adding extra flour, if needed.
• Place dough in warm oiled or buttered bowl, turning greased side up. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place* until doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes.
• NOTE: I preheat the oven on WARM and then immediately turn it off. My dough rises in 45 minutes. I use bread machine fast-acting yeast.
• Gently, press dough down and hand-knead for 5 minutes on lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough into 9 pieces and shape into round rolls. Place them, into a seasoned and lightly oiled cast iron skillet.
• Cover with a clean cloth & let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes. (I return them to the oven, until it’s time to preheat it for baking).
• OPTIONAL: Melt 1/2 stick of butter, and brush all over the rolls– gently, so you don’t deflate them. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt & rosemary.
• Bake at 375°F for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
• Brush tops of rolls with additional melted butter, while they are hot!
• MY TOUCH: brush with additional melted butter and inhale the aroma in the kitchen….heavenly!

Notes

Recipe source:  adapted from The Pioneer Woman (she used frozen bread dough, and I made mine from scratch)

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 864mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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