mexican {street} corn chowder.

I suppose it’s safe to say that this soup comes with a story.

Weird, I know.

This was the soup that I conjured up to take to my audition for that lil’ cooking show I told you about. You know … the one with Nigella and Anthony. On a major network. Small fries. Small potatoes? Whatevs.

I’m going to tell you the story of that audition, although you won’t be getting the results, because I don’t know them yet myself. Unless someone out there knows something otherwise – we’re in full-on wait-mode right now.

Except I’m not really waiting, because I think the word “waiting” signifies that you’re sitting around, in a state at least somewhat close to inactivity – which clearly, I am not.

Between being engaged – is this a real thing that people already have a gift registry by now, because that scares me – planning an engagement party, going to Key West last weekend which, by the way, I’ve decided is like Vegas in the fact that I shouldn’t be allowed to stay there for a period longer than 3 nights … oh, wait – and that reminds me, I will be in Vegas the weekend after my engagement party for my BFFs bachelorette party, and then there’s another one in the DR and then wedding after wedding after wedding after … and don’t I have my own wedding to plan, or even think about, for that matter?

ANYHOO.

You’re going to have to wait for this audition story until Friday, because right now we need to talk about this soup.

When I learned that I was going to need to make a dish and bring it with me to the audition, the first thing that popped into my head was my goat cheese mac. Everyone sweated that mac, and it was fresh in my mind because it was one of the last things I’d made. Then I thought about a few things, like how everyone and their mom has a great mac and cheese, but more importantly that mac and cheese tends to dry out the next day.

I had the idea for this soup floating around in my brain, and then it came to me – why not do try this for the dish? I had plenty of time to develop and test the recipe, so that’s what I did.

Let’s start with the Mexican street corn … It’s a traditional Mexican thang consisting of grilled corn on the cob slathered in crema or mayo and then covered in chili powder, lime juice, and Cotija cheese. Perfect combination of sweet, salty, creamy, spicy, and tangy. It’s got it all going on!

I just love a good corn chowder, so turning this dreamy street corn thought into a soup seemed like a match made in heaven. A creamy corn chowder serves as the base, and also mimics the creaminess of the crema in the dish. Homemade corn stock and using masa harina as a thickener bring out the sweetness of the corn even more. Some of that salty Cotija goes into the soup, and the rest is left for a garnish, where it’s mixed with more chili powder and fresh herbs.

You could very easily stop right there if you wanted to – but I had to go the extra mile and dream up a cornbread for crouton-making. This cornbread hits the same flavor notes, but the real magic happens when you fry them until crisp and then drench them in lime juice.

It’s a winning dish, don’t ya think?

Mexican {Street} Corn Chowder

Creamy Mexican corn chowder topped with Cotija cheese and spicy chili-lime cornbread croutons.

Mexican Corn Chowder 

• 6 ears fresh corn
• 1 sweet {Vidalia} onion, quartered
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for rubbing the corn)
• 1 cup chopped shallots
• 2 serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped {I like to leave a few seeds in for a kick}
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped scallion, divided
• 1/4 cup masa harina
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges, for serving

Chili-Lime Cornbread Croutons

Chili-Lime Cornbread:

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To make the croutons:

• Unsalted butter
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Lime wedges

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (through kosher salt) using a fork. In a medium bowl, whisk egg, lime zest, sour cream, heavy cream, and butter together until combined.

Stir wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Pour batter into a buttered (you can use cooking spray if you prefer) 9- x 5-inch metal loaf pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

To make the croutons, cut the cornbread into 1/2-inch thick slices, and then cut each slice lengthwise into 2 sticks. Heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet (cast-iron is great) over medium heat. Add cornbread sticks to the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. Add more butter and oil as the skillet dries out. Remove crisped cornbread croutons to a plate, sprinkle with salt, and cover with lime juice.