Chile and Corn Chowder

Big Daddy's Kitchen

Big Daddy's Cooking with Attitude

Thai Chile

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Chile and Corn Chowder

Based on a recipe from Bon Appetite magazine this deliciously creamy chowder may be made with shredded chicken, fresh shrimp or left alone as a vegetarian dish. The chiles give just enough heat so that it's pleasantly spicy.

4 tablespoons	butter, divided
2 tablespoons	flour
3 ribs celery	diced
1 medium onion	diced
2 large	Pablano chiles, seeded and chopped
2-14½ ounce cans	creamed corn
1-16 ounce package	frozen corn kernels, thawed (see notes)
~ 4 cups	chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup	heavy cream (see notes)
2 teaspoons	sugar
½ teaspoon	cayenne
salt and pepper	to taste
~ ½ pound	cooked, shredded chicken breast or raw small-to-medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup	chopped fresh parsley

Prepare a beurre manié by kneaded together the flour with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Set aside.

Melt the remaining butter over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Add the veggies and allow to sauté until they have softened, about 8 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except the protein and parsley and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Adjust for salt and pepper.

Add in the chicken or shrimp along with the beurre manié (if using it) and stir to combine. Allow to simmer just long enough to thicken and heat through (or until the shrimp turn bright pink), about 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Notes:

To make a more diet friendly version simply replace the cream with fat free evaporated milk and omit the beurre manié used to thicken the brew at the end. Instead, pureeing part of the chowder will thicken it without the additional fat.
Many markets only carry the 10 ounce size, so just use that size if necessary.