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Hearty Corn Chowder with Chipotle Whipped Cream

Hearty Corn Chowder with Chipotle Whipped Cream

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A month ago, I received an email from Westminster Crackers, saying that they liked what we were doing over in the Chez Us kitchen.  They wanted to share their product with us.  I have always wondered where those little packets of salty crackers came from, and now I know.  Salty little bites in a bag. Yum.  The first thought that came to mind was the obvious, clam chowder but I wanted to do something different, so I worked on this recipe for Hearty Corn Chowder with Chipotle Whipped Cream.


A week later a box arrives with not only salty little bags of goodness but also their regular and circle crackers.  I did not do my homework very well as I did not realize they made other crackers beside oyster crackers.  Lenny basically ripped into the box of square crackers and devoured them before I even had a taste;  must have been good!  I, on the other hand, opened the box of circles, grabbed some cheese, and sat down to try out the Westminster Cracker.  The first thing I noticed was that not one cracker was broken.  They survived a trip from the East Coast and not one cracker broke.  When I broke a cracker in half, it made a nice “snap” sound.  The cracker was crispy.  The flavor was not overly salty or over yeasty.  The crackers went really well with cheese.  As far as crackers go, I was impressed so far.

The next test was to try the oyster crackers.  I did not want to just tear into a bag and nibble them.  Nor did I want to serve them with the token bowl of clam chowder.  I made a “cream” free corn chowder.  The base of my chowder is simple, sweet white corn, potatoes, some carrot, and celery.   Cooked until the flavors blend, when pureed, until slightly smooth and still chunky.  No cream is added as the pureeing makes the soup creamy.  I like texture, so I sauteed some white corn with pancetta and stirred it into the pureed soup.  The final touch was a chipotle whipped cream, a sprinkle of cilantro, and Westminster Oyster Crackers.  I was impressed.  The crackers stayed crisp, never got soggy (even during a 15-minute photo shoot),  and added the right amount of crunch and salty flavor to the chowder.

Besides the crispy bite, the snappy sound of the cracker breaking between my teeth, I like that the ingredients are all natural.  As well the crackers are trans fat-free, low in sodium, low in fat, no cholesterol, no sugar, and no preservatives;  all selling points for me and exactly what I look for when label reading at the grocery store.

photo credit:  Westminster Crackers

We think you would love these crackers, whether in a bowl of steamy chowder or even as a snack on their own.

Corn Chowder with Chipotle Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion, cut into pieces
2 carrots, washed, cut into pieces
2 celery ribs, washed, cut into pieces
2 small russets, peeled, cut into pieces
24oz sweet white corn, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups water, or stock
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

6 slices pancetta, cut into small pieces
8 oz of above-mentioned corn
a drizzle of olive oil

1-pint whipping cream
2 teaspoons canned chipotle pepper, cut into very small dice

cilantro, for garnish

crackers

How To:

In a large dutch oven, over medium heat, pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil; gently heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, over medium heat, cook until soft; about 7 minutes.

Add the potatoes, stir, and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the corn and the water or stock.

Over medium heat, bring to a slight boil; lower heat to a low simmer and let cook for 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking prepare the toppings.

Using a mixer, whip the cream with the chipotle pepper until stiff peaks form; do over whip or you will have butter. Set the cream aside.

In a frying pan, over medium heat, add the drizzle of olive oil and the pancetta. Cook until lightly golden and slightly crispy; about 6 minutes. Add the white corn, stir, and heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until time to serve.

By now the soup is finished. Remove the soup from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Puree in batches in a food processor or blender.

Return to the dutch oven, gently reheat over low heat, until hot; about 5 minutes.

To serve, ladle soup into a bowl, top with a dollop of whipped chipotle cream, some of the pancetta/corn mixture, a sprinkle of cilantro and a bag of salty Westminster Oyster Crackers.

Serve.

Eat.

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Daryl Callahan

Thursday 17th of March 2011

I tweeted this-Enter to win-https://chezus.com/soups-and-stews/corn-chowder/#comment-54064 Dthern

Daryl Callahan

Thursday 17th of March 2011

Your recipe looks amazing. I love soup and chowder but always try to limit the calories and yours hits the spot! I am already your fan as you have a fabulous blog and am now a huge fan of Westminster Crackers as well.

averagebetty

Wednesday 16th of March 2011

I am such a FAN of Chez Us and Westminster Crackers on Facebook y'all!

averagebetty

Wednesday 16th of March 2011

I tweeted! https://twitter.com/averagebetty/status/48161077195841536

averagebetty

Wednesday 16th of March 2011

It's gotta be clam chowder as my number one and a corn-jalapeno as number two. Your hearty corn chowder looks delicious -- and the chipotle whipped cream? Pinch me!