Mussel & Corn Chowder
Submitted by mdm
Mussel and corn chowder with a silky milled corn base, steamed mussels, and sweet red pepper. A coastal New England twist on classic corn chowder, ready in about 40 minutes.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minThis is corn chowder the way it should taste in peak summer, when fresh corn is sweet and briny mussels are cheap at the fish counter. The coastal New England pairing works because corn’s natural sweetness and mussel liquor play the same role dashi does in Japanese soups, two umami notes that lift each other.
The chowder base is built on a classic roux-thickened stock and wine, then fortified with corn and pushed through a food mill. That food-mill step is non-negotiable. It gives you a velvety base with real corn texture, something a blender would puree into soup-baby-food.
Mussels get the stir-fry treatment in a hot wok rather than the standard steaming pot. The high heat caramelizes the shells just slightly and opens them fast without overcooking the meat inside, tender mussels vs rubbery ones.
The extra three-quarter cup of corn stirred in at the end keeps texture and sweetness in the final bowl. Don’t wait for every mussel to open or the early openers turn to rubber.
Pro Tips
- Use fresh corn kernels cut off the cob if you can, frozen works but lacks the milky sweetness that carries this soup.
- Scrub mussels under cold running water and debeard just before cooking, early debearding kills them.
- A food mill (medium disk) is the right tool, worth buying if you cook often.
- Warm the stock before whisking into the roux, cold liquid into a hot roux creates lumps.
Variations
- Add a splash of cream sherry or Pernod to the stock for more aromatic depth.
- Finish with crumbled crisp bacon and fresh thyme for a smokier chowder.
- Swap mussels for small clams or a mix of the two, the method works the same way.
Ingredients
Directions
In a saucepan bring stock to a boil and add wine.
Reduce heat to low and keep liquid warm.
In a 2 quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour.
Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and add 1 cup stock mixture, whisking vigorously until thick and smooth.
Add remaining stock mixture and bring to a boil, whisking.
Simmer mixture, uncovered, until reduced to 1½ cups, about 5 minutes.
Add ¾ cup of corn and simmer mixture 4 minutes.
Force mixture through a food mill (don’t be tempted to use a food processor) fitted with the medium disk set over a bowl and stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste.
Keep corn chowder warm.
In a large wok heat oil over high heat until it begins to smoke and stir-fry mussels and bell pepper until coated well with oil, about 30 seconds.
Cover wok and steam mussels until they begin to open, about 3 minutes.
Stir in corn chowder and simmer, covered, until more mussels open, about 2 minutes.
Stir in remaining ¾ cup of corn and salt and pepper to taste.
(Do not cook mussels until all are opened, because already-opened mussels will overcook. Instead, discard any unopened ones.)
Ladle chowder into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve chowder with bread.
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