Poblano Corn Chowder for a Snowy Day

It was a pretty, snowy day in Ohio. I spent a few hours in the office and then beat rush hour. I couldn't wait to get home and make some soup. This is the first time I have made chowder with a poblano. I liked the flavor. I also thought about blending the soup so it was smooth, but decided to go with the hearty version instead. This is an adaptation from Martha Stewart.
(Picture from Ezra Jack Keats - Snowy Day)

Poblano Corn Chowder
Ingredients
4 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
2 ribs celery, strings removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice (3/4 cup)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
2 1/2 cups of corn (fresh or frozen)
5 ounces small potatoes - white or fingerling, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 poblano chile, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups half-and-half



Directions
Place bacon in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until it is deep golden brown and all the fat has been rendered, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, then transfer to paper towels to drain, and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat.
Add diced onion, celery, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste to stockpot; cook over medium-low heat until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes.
Add corn, potato slices, and poblano chile; cook until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard thyme. Add half-and-half, and simmer until soup is hot. (Martha did not do this, but I took about 1 1/2 cups of the soup and blended it smooth in the blender and then added it back to the chunky soup. I thought it improved the flavors a bit.)
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into soup bowls, and garnish with bacon and a little hot sauce if desired.

Poblano Soup

I had this soup at a Christmas party this year and my neighbor and friend, Molly passed the recipe onto me the other night...compliments of Gourmet magazine. I would never have selected this soup from its list of ingredients, but it was such a great surprise and wonderful for a cold winter day.

This soup, served hot in a shot glass, is wonderfully warming, and the spicy heat from the chiles will wake up your taste buds. It's a great way to kick-start some festive conversation.
Makes about 32 hors d'oeuvre servings
1 1/2 pounds fresh poblano chiles (8 large)

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds1 whole clove or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

4 whole allspice or 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 cup mild olive oil

1 medium white onion, chopped (1 cup)

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

3 to 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

Equipment: heatproof shot glasses or espresso cups
Roast chiles: Roast chiles on their sides on racks of gas burners, 1 or 2 per burner, on medium-high (or on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat), turning with tongs, until skins are blackened all over, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, then cover and let stand 20 minutes. Peel chiles, then stem, seed, devein, and coarsely chop.

Make soup: Heat spices in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant and oil begins to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes.Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add roasted chiles and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Purée chile mixture with cilantro and 3 cups broth (total) in 2 or 3 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), about 2 minutes per batch.
Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and add cream. Bring to a simmer, adding more broth to thin if necessary, and season with salt.
Cooks' note: Soup can be blended and cream added (but not heated) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.Thin with broth and season with salt when reheating if necessary.