CHOWDER (“CHOWDAH” in our home base of Boston) takes many forms: clam, fish, and corn chowder, to name a few. Whatever the main ingredient, most traditional versions also contain potatoes, cream, and bacon. In New England, corn chowder is a summertime staple with a devoted following; a great one is, as old-timers say, “worth the drive.”
For this version of corn chowder, we had two goals: deep, “worth the drive” corn flavor, and simplicity.
There is nothing quite like the sweet, buttery flavor of fresh peak-season corn—use the best and freshest you can find. Sufficient corniness comes from just two ears of corn. First, we cut kernels from the cobs; then, we scrape the stripped cobs with the back of a knife to extract the sweet, starchy pulp (or corn…
