CORN AND LOBSTER CHOWDER WITH VERMONT CHEDDAR CHEESE TWISTS

Corn and Lobster Chowder with Vermont Cheddar Cheese Twists image

I used to make this rich and yummy soup as a special fancy appetizer before our Thanksgiving dinner, until I was told by my family "no more soup on Thanksgiving"...they all ate so much of this delicious soup, that no one wanted the turkey dinner. So I now make the chowder on Christmas Eve or on a cold snowy day during the...

Provided by Lynn Hoar

Time 1h20m

Number Of Ingredients 20

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Ingredients

CORN & LOBSTER CHOWDER
1 lb fresh cooked lobster meat or 2- 10 oz cans of frozen lobster meat cut into bite size pieces
8 c frozen yellow corn thawed
3 c chicken broth, low salt
8 slice bacon, uncooked
2 c chopped onion
3/4 c peeled and diced carrots
2/3 c diced celery
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 c clam juice-bottled
1-1/2 c whipping cream
6 Tbsp sour cream
1/4 stick butter
3 Tbsp chopped chives
VERMONT CHEDDAR CHEESE TWISTS
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (half of a 17 oz pkg) thawed
1 3/4 c fresh grated sharp white cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp thyme, dried
3/4 tsp sage, dried
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Steps:

1. For the Chowder: Pick through lobster meat discarding any shells or odd pieces. Tear into bite size pieces, place in bowl and set aside
2. Puree 4 cups of corn with 1- 1/4 cups of the chicken broth in food processor until almost smooth.
3. Saute bacon until crisp, transfere to paper towels and crumble when cooled.
4. Pour off and discard drippings in pan SAVING 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Saute onions in drippings for 5 min until golden. Add in the 4 cups of corn sauteing for 3 minutes, then add in the carrots, celery and cayenne and continue to cook until veggies are crisp tender about 5 more minutes.
5. Add clam juice and the remainder of the chicken broth to the veggie mix and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Stir in corn puree and whipping cream...simmer for 5 minutes...season with salt and pepper.
7. Remove soup from heat and stir in sour cream.
8. Melt the 2 tbs butter in a saucepan, toss in lobster meat and saute until the meat is just heated through.
9. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish each bowl with lobster chunks, crumbled bacon pieces and fresh chopped chives
10. Serve chowder with Vermont Cheddar Cheese Twists...recipe to follow To reheat leftovers...bring soup to room temperature and simmer very gently until heated through.
11. For the Cheddar Twists: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl except the puff pastry
12. Roll puff pastry to a 18x10 rectangle ( dough will be real thin) Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese evenly over half the pastry, fold plain dough half over the cheese half..roll out dough again to 18x10 size, sprinkle half the dough with another 3rd of the cheese and roll out one more time repeating the folding technique and sprinkling with the remainder of cheese ....roll out for the last time to 18x10 or as close as you can reasonalbly get
13. Transfer to unlined baking sheet and chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
14. Pre Heat oven to 425 degree. Position oven racks in upper third and lower third positions of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
15. Cut pastry crosswise in half, forming two 10x9 rectangles.Trim and discard uneven edges of pastry.
16. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips. Twist each strip a few times and lay the twist on the parchement spacing them a little less than an inch apart...bake for a total of 10 minutes, rotating baking pans halfway through baking. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers tightly wrapped in foil at room temperature.