Corner Kitchen: A Biltmore Village Restaurant Blog

Have you ever wondered why some soups are classified as “chowders”?

Chowder is a rather loose category, but usually indicates a soup that is rich and creamy with chunks of seafood and vegetables. The most famous, of course, is New England Clam Chowder. The word “chowder” evolved from the French word “chaudiere,” the name of the pot in which French fisherman would boil samples of their catches with potatoes and other vegetables. French settlers in the New England colonies introduced the culinary tradition to America. “Chowder” first appeared in a written recipe in 1751. By the 1800s, American cooks started to use mostly clams instead of fish because of the abundance of shellfish in the northeast.

(Source: http://www.souphoopla.com/chowder-soups.html)

If you feel inspired to connect with our colonial roots, try out our Corn and Crab Chowder recipe. Or, whip up our Tomato Basil Bisque too– just for comparison’s sake.

Corn and Crab Chowder

For the “Base”

Ingredients:

1 each   Red Peppers

1 each   Green Peppers

1 each   Small Jalapeno peppers

1 stalks  Celery, chopped

1 each    Yellow Onion

½  tbsp.  Garlic, minced

¼  lbs.   Butter

½  cups     A.P. Flour

2 lbs.   Frozen Corn

1 qt.     Clam Juice

2 qt.   Water

1 lbs.   Crab Claw meat

Method: Sauté all the vegetables (except corn) in the Butter. Add the Flour and cook for a minute (scrape the bottom of the pot!!!) Add clam juice, Water and Simmer for 20 minutes and remove from heat, Add Corn and Crab, cool and store in a labeled, dated plastic container.

For service

2 qt.   Corn and Crab Chowder base

2 cups   Half and Half

1 cup    Heavy Cream

To taste   Lime Juice

To taste    Salt and Pepper mix

As needed   Cornstarch Slurry

Method: Combine, base, and dairy products. Bring the soup to a simmer, season to taste and thicken if necessary.

Note: This soup should have a “slow burn” and be relatively thick. The Lime juice is used to keep it from being too flat and/or heavy

Tomato Basil Bisque

Yield: 10 portions

Ingredients:

2 quarts     Diced Tomatoes in Juice

1 each         Yellow Onion, small, chopped

½   tbsp.    Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp.      Fresh basil, chopped

¼  cup     Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½  each   6 ounce can Tomato paste

1 each    Bay Leaves

1 qt    Heavy Cream and Half & Half

to taste     Salt & Pepper

Method: Sauté onions in olive oil, add garlic, tomato paste. Add Diced tomatoes, bay and basil, Simmer for fifteen minutes. Puree, add cream and season to taste.

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes        3-4 large, peeled and large dice

Chef potatoes            7-8 large, peeled and large dice

Ginger                     1 lb

Heavy cream           ½ cup

Butter                        ½ lb

Salt and pepper      To taste

Method:

Puree ginger finely, then place in cloth napkin and ring out ginger juice. Combine butter and heavy cream in pan and heat till butter is completely melted, Boil sweet and chef potatoes together until fully cooked. Strain and heat in oven (375) for 5-10 min. (just enough to dry out potatoes) Run through ricer or mix in large mixer, add cream, butter, ginger, and salt & pepper all to taste.

Ingredients:

Shredded White Cabbage

Shredded Carrots

Chopped Parsley

Apple Cider Vinegar

Mayonnaise

Cayenne Pepper

Salt & Pepper

Method:

Salt the cabbage a day in advance and store in cooler.

Drain Cabbage and add the shredded carrots.

Splash with just enough cider vinegar to barely wet the cabbage.

Then add mayonnaisse until the cabbage is coated and slightly creamy.

Add in chopped parley.

Season with sugar and S & P until you find the right balance of flavor.

Add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to give it a distant bight.

2 cups        AP flour

2 cups        Corn meal

½  cups     Sugar

2 Tbsp.       Baking powder

2 tsp.           Salt

2 each         Fine dice jalapeno

½  tsp         Dry mustard

2cups           Shredded cheddar cheese (or diced)

4 each          Eggs slightly beaten

2 cups           Buttermilk

½ cup           Vegetable oil

1 cup              Frozen Corn

Method: Combine dry ingredients first and then combine eggs, milk, and vegetable oil, Corn and Jalapenos and stir together. Bake at 375 degrees F. Makes enough for one muffin tin.