SMOKY CORN AND CHILI CHOWDER

Smoky Corn And Chili Chowder image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories dinner, lunch, soups and stews, appetizer

Time 3h40m

Yield Four servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 cup low-fat yogurt
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 cups fresh corn
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow bell pepper, roasted, seeded, deveined, peeled and minced
2 small poblano peppers, roasted, seeded, deveined, peeled and minced
1 small onion, peeled and minced
6 poblano peppers, roasted, seeded, deveined, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram leaves
8 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Steps:

Place the yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Set aside to drain for 3 hours. This will become yogurt cheese. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal. Cook until creamy, about 25 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet until smoking. Add 2 1/2 cups of the corn. Dry roast, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Brush the inside of 4 ramekins -- 3 inches in diameter, 4 inches tall -- with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the bottom of each with a thick layer of the cornmeal mixture. Add a layer of yellow bell peppers, a layer of the poblano peppers, a layer of dry roasted corn and a layer of yogurt cheese. Top with the remaining cornmeal. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Cook the onion in the remaining olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved dry-roasted corn, the remaining fresh corn, peppers, marjoram and broth. Simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and puree in a blender until smooth. Strain and ladle into 4 warmed soup bowls. Serve each with a timbale.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 595, UnsaturatedFat 12 grams, Carbohydrate 92 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 26 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 1357 milligrams, Sugar 28 grams, TransFat 0 grams