Roasted Corn & Chorizo Chowder

With much of North America and Europe sitting in a deep freeze, there is little to do by way of coping but make soup. We’ve tried it every which way. Just this week: French onion (makes the whole house smell like onions), pasta e ceci (so good but not substantial), and then, finally, last night, this. A gift in a bowl. Spanish sun on cold-blistered skin.

This is one of the best soups I’ve made in ages. No, it’s one of the best soups I’ve had in ages. In forever. It may appear fussier than an average weeknight soup because you have to roast the corn and whip up a little crème fraîche topping, but it’s actually super straightforward and that garlic-infused crème fraîche? It’s the secret sauce – it adds immense amount of flavor, depth and authenticity.

So if you’re somewhere thinking of ways to get through these last 6 weeks of winter, I recommend this garlicky, hot Spanish hug in a bowl. Winter may be long and dark, but that doesn’t mean dinner has to be, too.

ROASTED CORN & CHORIZO CHOWDER

I got this recipe from The London Cookbook; the below is my take on it. I usually do not mess with it much other than not bothering to make my own sofrito (see below for original sofrito recipe if you want to go above and beyond). Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a starter. Takes about 40 minutes start to finish and is even better the next day.

• 3 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 pound fresh Spanish chorizo sausage, casings removed and chopped roughly

• 1 large potato or sweet potato, peeled and diced

• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or 2 chicken boullion cubes and 6 cups water)

• 2 cups sofrito (I sometimes make it (see below), sometimes use 1 smallish jar of store-bought sofrito)

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted piquillo peppers (or 2 bell peppers, chopped)

• 1 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt)

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• Sweet smoked paprika, to taste

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss the corn with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the corn for about 15 minutes, until the edges are starting to turn a golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Slice the chorizo or remote from its casing and crumble. Warm the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chorizo and sauté until browned. Toss the potato into the pot and cook, stirring, letting it absorb some of that chorizo goodness. Add the stock, sofrito, and chopped peppers and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, until the vegetables soften but haven’t yet lost their texture.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the chives, garlic, paprika, and chile flakes. Season with salt and pepper.

Slide the chorizo into the soup, stir in half of the crème fraîche mixture and the roast corn, and cook for a few minutes longer. Ladle into bowls, dollop with some of the remaining crème fraiche, and lightly dust with paprika for color.

………..

If you have an extra 30 - 45 minutes on your hands or can’t find store-bought, here’s the recipe for homemade sofrito, also from The London Cookbook:

SOFRITO

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

• 2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 2 red bell peppers, peeled and thinly sliced

• 2 cups fresh or canned whole tomatoes

• 1 fresh or dried bay leaf

• Pinch of sugar

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet. Toss in the onions and garlic. Cook gently, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent but not colored. Peel the bell peppers with a vegetable peeler and add them to the onions. Continue to sauté for another 20 minutes, until they too are soft.

If you are using fresh tomatoes, grate them on the largest holes of a box grater. If you are using canned tomatoes, pulse them in a food processor until they are somewhere between diced and pureed.

When the bell peppers are soft add the tomato and bay leaf and cook at the merest simmer for 25 minutes longer. Add the sugar, season with salt and pepper, and give the sofrito a final stir.

If you are making the sofrito ahead, let it cool completely. Pour into a jar, cover with a thin layer of olive oil, close the lid, and refrigerate for up to 10 days.