Lobster Corn Chowder

This lobster corn chowder is one of my “impress the company” recipes. It’s incredibly delicious and most of it is made ahead of your dinner party, so that you have time to spend with your guests. There’s also the added benefit that if, let’s say, the hostess has too much wine with a friend of hers with all that free time she has not slaving over the stove, that she still looks like the hostess with the mostess. This is strictly a hypothetical situation. Any similarity to a real person, either living or hungover, is purely coincidental.

Lobster Corn Chowder

10 ounces of cooked lobster meat
8 cups frozen peaches and cream corn kernels, thawed
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
8 bacon slices, chopped
2 cups chopped onions
3/4 cup peeled and finely diced carrots
2/3 cup finely diced celery
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
3 cups bottled clam juice
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
6 tbsps sour cream
2 tbsps butter
3 tbsps chopped fresh chives

Puree 4 cups of corn with 1 1/2 cups of broth in blender until smooth.

Sauté bacon in a large Dutch Oven over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings from pot. Add onions and sauté until light golden in colour, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups corn and sauté 3 minutes. Add celery, carrots and cayenne continuing to cook until vegetables soften sligthly, about 5 additional minutes. Add clam juice and remaining 1 1/2 cups of broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in corn puree and whipping cream and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

(If making ahead, cover soup, bacon and lobster separately and refrigerate. Allow soup to come to room temperature before warming over medium-low heat.)

While soup is simmering, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add lobster and sauté until heated through. Remove soup from heat and stir in sour cream. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with lobster, bacon and chives before serving. Serves 8.

Pleasantville Note: This soup also works well with King Crab meat. Additionally, if you only “sort of” like your company, i.e your husband’s boss, your mother-in-law, then you can also serve with sautéed shrimp. I won’t tell a soul. Also, if you’re feeling really crazy substitute pancetta for bacon.