GRILLED CORN CHOWDER

Grilled Corn Chowder image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 45m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

4 ears sweet corn, husked
1 small red bell pepper, cored and cut into 4 planks
1 bunch scallions (6 to 7), trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Hot sauce, for serving, optional

Steps:

Prepare a grill for medium heat.
Brush the corn, bell pepper and scallions lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning as needed, until the vegetables are charred and just tender, 8 to 10 minutes for the corn, about 6 minutes for the peppers and 2 to 3 minutes for the scallions. Let cool.
Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and place it in a medium bowl. Chop the bell pepper. Finely chop the scallions, keeping the white parts separated from the green parts.
Melt the butter in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, potatoes and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery softens, 3 to 4 minutes.
Sprinkle in the flour, thyme, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Stir until the flour evenly coats the vegetables, about 1 minute. Add the broth and 1 cup water and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer, adjust the heat and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the corn, peppers and cream and return to a rapid simmer. Cook until the soup is thickened and the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Stir in the scallion greens and parsley. Serve with hot sauce if using.