Friday, September 25, 2009

Fall is the season....


...for CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER!! (sorry for the bad picture, it sooooo does not do this chowder the justice it deserves!)

Yes, it's still like 100 degrees out there....however, my trusty calendar says it's time to put away my white capris and start thinking along the lines of warm fireplaces and falling leaves.
I love, love, love this time of year! This recipe is based on one of Paula Deen's, however some changes were necessary. Even with my changes, I still consider this a rich chowder...just so you know. I hope this recipe will help you get into the mood of cold crisp nights, overly priced boots and some awesome quality time with a loved one or two! B-T-W, it is majorly kid friendly...

Chicken Corn Chowder serves 6-8
1 stick salted butter
½ onion, small dice
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 cobs of corn, boiled and kernels removed
3 cups of quality chicken stock
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, cut into small cubes (store bought rotisserie birds work great!!)
1 cup half-n-half
1 cup milk (2%)
pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

In 6 qt. stockpot, boil corn cobs for 5-10 minutes. Remove cobs and let cool. Cut kernels from the cobs and set aside in a small bowl.
Pour out water, then melt butter in the stockpot over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrot, celery and garlic for only 2-4 minutes. Add flour and make a roux. Cook roux until slightly brown, then turn off the heat to cool.
During this time, combine corn and chicken stock in another saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the boiling stock and corn into the stockpot with the roux, whisking briskly to prevent lumps. Mixture should be begin to look deliciously creamy!
Let this mixture reach a gentle boil, then turn down the heat to low-medium. Dump in the cubed chicken, stir. Slowly stream in the half-n-half and milk into the chicken corn mixture, whisking to combine. Gently simmer for about 10 minutes until chowder thickens just a bit.
Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Crickets!!! I'm hearing CRICKETS!!

Welcome back to my archaic blog. Started years ago as merely a creative "mommy" outlet, now, it is simply therapy for boredom. ;) ...