Summery Corn Soup with Alex Guarnaschelli
The trick with corn soup is to harness the sweetness of the corn when it’s raw and the earthy, starchy notes when it’s cooked. To clean the corn of its silk, use a damp, sturdy kitchen towel to wipe the cobs clean. Fun fact: For each kernel of corn on a cob, there is one piece of silk so that makes for a lot of cleaning! I serve this soup cold and it’s both refreshing and satisfying. Make ahead and let it get super cold before serving. PS You can also puree all of the soup so it’s completely smooth or gently heat and serve warm instead of chilled!
Equipment
Kitchen Towel
Measuring Cup and Spoons (liquid and dry)
Large Sauté Pan
Kitchen Knife
Large Bowl
Medium Pot
Tasting Spoon
Whisk
Soup Ladle
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Ingredients
- 4 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts both
- Kosher salt
- 8 ears (about 2 pounds) fresh corn, shucked and wiped clean
- 2 tbsps dark brown sugar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 – 3-1/2 cups half and half
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Tabasco
Directions
Start the soup: In a large sauté pan, combine half of the olive oil and scallions with a generous pinch salt and ¼ cup water and cook over medium low heat until they are translucent and tender, 3-5 minutes.
Cut the corn: Hold an ear of corn upright with one end on the cutting board and the other in your non-cutting hand. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels in rows from the cob. Rotate the corn and cut close enough to the core so that the kernels remain relatively whole but not so closely that you end up taking fibrous pieces of the cob with you. Repeat with all of the corn. Gather the kernels in a bowl and reserve the cobs.
Cook the corn: In the same large sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add all of the corn kernels. Season with salt, stir in the brown sugar and a generous pinch black pepper. Cook over medium heat until the corn becomes tender, 8-10 minutes.
Finish: In a medium pot, bring the half and half and 1 cup water to gentle simmer over medium heat and add the cobs. Simmer the cobs gently on low heat, 12-15 minutes, until they impart their corn flavor to the half and half. Discard to cobs. Pour the liquid over the cooked corn, add the Worcestershire and Tabasco and simmer 3-5 minutes on low heat. Taste for seasoning. Puree half of the liquid and corn in the blender until smooth and pour back into the rest of the soup. Refrigerate until fully cold, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
Serve: Whisk to blend before serving so some of the remaining corn lands in each bowl as you serve the soup. Taste for seasoning. Ladle into the bowls.
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