Over an open burner on high heat, char the corn and set aside to cool. Set the peppers over the open burner and char black all over. Place the peppers into a plastic zip-top bag to steam out and cool for at least 10 minutes. Cut the kernels off of the corn and set aside. Take the peppers out of the bag and peel the charred skin as much as possible. Remove the seeds and stem. Chop the peppers into a small dice. In a large pot over high heat, melt the butter until it starts to brown and add the onion. Once the onion starts to become translucent, add the roasted peppers, corn, cumin powder, coriander powder, oregano, thyme and salt. Pour the stock and milk over the corn mixture and stir to combine. Turn the heat down to medium, and heat the soup for 10 minutes, but do not bring to a boil. Serve in a bowl topped with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese.
From the Harvest: Corn goes beyond the cob
Fresh sweet corn lends itself to many preparations: creamed, roasted in a soup and fried in fritters
Tip: For a thicker soup, puree 2 cups of the soup and return it to the hot soup and bring to almost a simmer. The pureed corn will thicken the soup.
Fresh corn fritters
These fritters are not the hush-puppylike bread balls you might be used to. There is little batter binding the corn and peppers, making the fritter almost all whole sweet corn. Transferring the batter into the hot oil using a measuring cup and a spoon is a good way to prevent burning your hands. Use a splatter guard just in case one of the kernels explodes (which may happen). The only other problem with this recipe is mustering the willpower to not eat the cooked fritters while another batch is frying.
Makes: 8 servings
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (approximately 20 grinds)
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
4 cups sweet corn kernels
1 Anaheim pepper, minced
2 teaspoons minced chives
canola oil
hot sauce
Sift the first six ingredients into a large bowl with a wire mesh strainer. Mix the eggs with the milk and whisk them into the flour mixture until smooth. Mix the corn, pepper and chives into the batter and let it sit for 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable oil into a pot until it is at least 4 inches deep and heat it to 375 degrees. Fill a 1/4 measuring cup half-full of batter and, using a spoon, slowly scoop the batter into the hot oil. Deep-fry the fritters for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Strain out of the oil and onto a rack or paper towel to drain. After cooling, serve with hot sauce on the side.
Tip: For a sweeter fritter, shake them in a bag filled with a cup of powdered sugar after they have cooled to the touch. Serve immediately
