Eat: Barefoot Contessa's Cheddar Corn Chowder

It's beginning to be the time of year when we see bins of corn at grocery stores and markets all over the city. All the cooking magazines for the past month or so have features devoted to selecting and preparing corn. I am definitely a fan, although having braces inhibits me from enjoying a good ol'fashioned corn on the cob. I was thoroughly envious this past weekend to see people enjoying hot buttered corn on the cob at Marche Jean-Talon. Hopefully next summer (crossing my fingers). Despite the fact we are a household of two, we bought a baker's dozen of corn with no real plan as to how we would consume them all. I really detest throwing out food, especially really good raw ingredients so in a moment of indecision I suggested we boil up the whole lot and I would cut the kernels off the cobs we didn't eat, and save them for another purpose. Thanks to wearing braces I must brag that I have developed some pretty good knife skills!

While at work the next day I remembered that Barefoot Contessa had posted an older recipe on Facebook for Cheddar Corn Chowder. I had attempted it years ago, but I was vegetarian and after modifications I found the recipe lacking a bit in flavour. But with a Tupperware full of leftover corn, and most of the ingredients already on hand, I decided to give it another go. This time, I would add the bacon, bacon fat, half & half, and cheddar (shudder!!). And this time, the chowder was fantastic. (Lots of bragging in this post!). The Contessa does not hold back, so I would not call this recipe light, but I feel less bad knowing that the recipe was based on fabulous raw ingredients. I really encourage people to try this recipe; I will most certainly make it again, especially when I have fresh corn. I followed the recipe except for two modifications; 1. I re purposed the water that I used to boil the corn in as the base for my broth (using a chicken flavoured liquid bullion) which added extra corn flavour, and 2. I divided the recipe in half exactly, making 4-6 servings, which still seem very generous. I served it with sliced ciabatta, warmed in the oven and covered with a garlic infused, fresh rosemary butter and grated cheddar. Wine is not a must (unless you're in my house) but it pairs nicely.

Barefoot Contessa's Cheddar Corn Chowder