Creamy Corn and Clam Chowder served with Crispy Chorizo
By Amanda Scali
Staying with the summer soup theme, this creamy corn and clam chowder is the perfect dish to be served when in iso, hiding from the world or just to provide a little comfort food in crazy times.
Light enough for summer, but still with a depth of flavour and wow factor.
Served best with crunch bread and a binge of a Netflix show or two.
What you’ll need:
Serves four
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
120 grams fresh chorizo
1tsp. hot smoked Spanish paprika or smoked paprika
1medium onion, finely chopped
6garlic cloves, thinly sliced
24 clams or pipis scrubbed
4 cobs of corn, kernels removed (about 4 cups)
1–2Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt
Coriander leaves with tender stems
Method:
Heat 3 Tbsp. Oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add chorizo and cook, breaking up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and stirring every minute or so, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the paprika and stir to combine, then scrape chorizo and oil into a small bowl.
Pour remaining 2 Tbsp. Oil into the same pot and set over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often and adding a splash of water if starting to brown, until softened but not browned, 10–12 minutes.
Add clams and toss to combine. Cover pot and cook until clams open, 5–7 minutes. Uncover and transfer opened clams to a medium bowl, leaving the liquid behind. If any clams are still closed, cover the pot again and cook the remaining clams until opened, about 4 minutes more. Transfer open clams to bowl; discard any that have not opened at this point. Tent bowl with foil.
Pour 3 cups water into the pot and bring to a simmer. Add corn kernels and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat and purée one-third of chowder in a blender until very smooth. Return purée to pot and mix well. (Or use an immersion blender if you have one and blend directly in the pot until you’ve blended about one third and chowder is partly thickened.) Stir in lime juice; taste and season with salt if needed.
Divide chowder among shallow bowls and add clams. Spoon chorizo and oil over and scatter some coriander on top.