CORN SOUP WITH GARLIC BUTTER

SOURCE: PAUL BERTOLLI AND ALICE WATERS. CHEZ PANISSE COOKING.

Soup is perhaps the next best thing to ever happen to corn after nibbling on the kernels from the cob. The sweetest corn purées come from fresh ones that head straight to the pot of boiling water within the same day of picking or purchase. Any delay further worsened by the absence of refrigerated storage only leads to the corn converting most of its sugar into starch, thus compromising the soup’s perfect taste with an undesirable mealiness and bitterness. For a more intense flavor, the Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse finishes its corn soup with a soft and fragrant paste of garlic and butter.

Ingredients

Garlic Butter

1/3 cup/45 grams peeled garlic cloves

Water

Salt to taste

5 tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon/1 mL Champagne vinegar

Ground Cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons/28 grams unsalted butter

3 1/4 cup/170 grams finely chopped onions

4 1/4 cups/1060 mL water

4 1/4 cups/680 grams corn kernels

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Specific Equipment

Small saucepan

Small bowl

Small spatula OR spoon

Plastic wrap

2 large pots

Blender OR food processor

Coarse sieve

Serves 6

Instructions

1. Bring the water in a small saucepan to a simmer. Drop in the garlic cloves and blanch for 1 minute to remove the harsh and bitter bite of garlic. Discard the water from the saucepan, keeping the garlic cloves in the saucepan.

2. Pour 2 cups/500 mL water into the saucepan and stir in 1/4 teaspoon/2 grams salt. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the water has almost evaporated and the garlic cloves have softened.

3. Transfer the garlic cloves to a small bowl and mash them to a paste with a small spatula or spoon. Stir in the butter, Champagne vinegar, Cayenne pepper, 1/8 teaspoon/1 gram salt, and 1/16 teaspoon/0.2 grams freshly ground black pepper until well-blended. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a cool place.

4. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and stir in the onion and 1/4 cup/60 mL water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the onions have softened. Pour in the remaining 4 cups/1000 mL water and bring to a boil. Stir in the corn kernels and simmer under medium heat for 5 minutes or until the corn kernels have softened.

5. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour the purée through a coarse sieve to allow the starchy juice to pass through another large pot and collecting the corn fibers and skins in the sieve. Season the soup lightly with salt and pepper, adjusting the amounts according to taste.

6. Reheat the soup gently over moderate heat. Divide the soup among individual bowls and serve with a dollop of the garlic butter.