Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder
Ingredients
5 to 6 large poblano green chiles (to yield 1 1/2 cups roasted, peeled, and chopped), (can sub canned chopped green chiles, enough to yield 1 to 1 1/2 cups, the amount depends on how hot the chiles are)
3 Tbsp butter
2 medium onions, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 ribs celery, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks (10 - 12 ounces)
4 ears of corn (enough to yield 4 cups of corn kernels), or 4 cups of corn
5 cups chicken stock (use vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 limes, one sliced for garnish, one for juice (can substitute lemon juice)
Directions
1 Roast the chiles. There are lots of ways to do this (see How to Roast Green Chiles over an Open Flame), I tend to just put them either directly on the flame, or in one of those grill pans with holes in them, over the gas flame. You can roast them on a grill or under a broiler. Just make sure they get blackened all over. Then put them in a bowl, cover the bowl and let them steam. When they've cooled down enough to touch, use your fingers or a dampened paper towel to strip off the charred bits. Cut them open, remove and discard the stem, seed pod and inside veins. Roughly chop the chiles and set aside.
2 Melt butter in a 5 to 6 quart heavy-bottomed pot on medium high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and the celery, stir to coat with the butter. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, lowering the heat to medium, until the onions and celery are softened and are beginning to brown.
3 While the onions are cooking, if using fresh corn on the cob, cut the fresh kernels of corn away from the cobs.
4 Once the onions and celery are beginning to brown, add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the potatoes and the stock to the pot. Add the bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked through.
5 Add the corn kernels to the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until cooked through. Add the chopped roasted poblanos to the pot.
6 Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the cream. Add black pepper, more or less to taste. At this point, if you want a thicker base for your chowder, you can use an immersion blender or standup blender to purée about a third of the soup.
To serve, sprinkle with a little fresh lime juice and serve with a slice or two of lime.