LADYFIRE STAR CHEF SERIES PRESENTS

SWEET CORN CHOWDER

by Curtis Aikens

The star of two Television Food Network shows, Food in a Flash and Meals Without Meat. Read more about Curtis in his Special Bio.

Sweet Corn Chowder 
Serves 3 to 5 

This is so good, it's hard to believe it's so easy to prepare. When I stopped eating red meat in the early eighties, hamburger was the only thing I truly missed. Veggie burgers helped take care of that. And when I gave up seafood a few years later, I really missed New England clam chowder. I'm able to quench my desire for that with corn chowder. It tastes nothing like clams, but it has the same feel and the same creaminess, and it's so filling.

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons corn oil 

1/4 stick (1 ounce) butter 

1 medium onion, diced 

1 shallot, minced 

1 garlic clove, minced 

1 cup vegetable stock  

1 cup water 

1 large potato, peeled and diced 

1 celery stalk, diced 

1 bay leaf 

2 1/2 cups corn, fresh, canned, or frozen 

3 whole green onions, chopped 

3/4 cup milk 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Instructions: Put the oil and butter in a large pot. Add the onion, shallot, and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the stock, water, potato, celery, and bay leaf. Cook until the potato is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the corn, green onions, and milk. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and serve piping hot.