The long, cold nights of winter are tailor-made for comforting soups like my mother’s corn chowder. She had clipped the recipe out of a woman’s magazine some 40 years ago. The recipe epitomizes the convenience-driven attitude of the era: Nearly everything comes out of a can. Yet the chowder tastes so home-cooked and makes a wonderfully affordable one-dish meal.
While this recipe calls for hot dogs, you can gussy up the chowder by using a commercially available gourmet sausage, either chicken, turkey or duck. Or, use lump crabmeat instead of the franks and substitute a splash of toasted sesame oil for the finishing pat of butter.
Menu
Tossed salad
Corn chowder
Oyster crackers
Sliced pears and goat cheese
Belgian lager
Tips
Heat the chowder carefully. You want it to simmer but not boil.
The chowder can be made ahead and reheated in a microwave.
Corn chowder with franks
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
1 large potato, peeled, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups water
1 can (15 1/4 ounces) corn kernels, drained
1 can (14 3/4 ounces) creamed corn
1 can (12 ounces) unsweetened evaporated milk
4 hot dogs, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
Salt
1. Heat the potatoes, onions, water, corn kernels, creamed corn and evaporated milk almost to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
2. Add hot dogs; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter; season with salt, if desired. Serve hot.
Nutrition information per serving:
366 calories, 40% of calories from fat, 18 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 33 mg cholesterol, 48 g carbohydrates, 13 g protein, 788 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
