Green Chile & Oyster Chowder

ellie_'s Note:

It's almost green chile season and I thought this was an interesting way to use green chiles instead of the usual green chile stew. Recipe source: Coyote Cafe

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb red potatoes , diced (1/2 inch)
• 1 onion , chopped
• 2 ½ cups clam broth (or fish stock)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ lb fresh green chilies
• 2 cups peanut oil
• ½ cup corn kernel
• 16 shucked oysters , in liquid (or use scallops)
• 1 red bell pepper , roasted, peeled and diced (1/2 inch)
• 2 cups half-and-half (or for a richer chowder use heavy cream)
• salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon marjoram , chopped

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes in water for 4 minutes, drain, rinse and let cool. Set aside.
2. Over low heat cook onion and bay leaf in one cup of clam broth (or fish stock) for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Discard bay leaf and let cool.
3. Fry the green chiles in the oil for about 4-5 minutes or until skin blisters but not black. Skin chiles, remove seeds and cut into 1/2 inch dice.
4. Steam the corn in 1/4 cup water for 2 minutes until tender (or use frozen thawed corn kernals).
5. In a large soup pot, combine the oysters with their liquid, the remaining broth (1 1/2 cups) and the green chiles and cook over low heat for 2-5 minutes, then add the potatoes, onion and red pepper and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir in half-and-half (or heavy cream), keeping mixture below a boil (or half-and-half will seperate). Stir in salt, corn and butter.
6. Pour soup into soup bowls and garnish with marjoram.

Reviews

[echo echo]

This is a great soup. I didn't have oysters available and made it with scollops instead. With the green chilies, yellow corn, dark red potatoes (I left the skin on) and bright red pepper, it's vivid with color. I hope the next person to review it is somebody with a camera. If you like relatively hot dishes (which I do), you'll love it. My BIL is not a fan of hot and he still ate his whole bowlful, though I think he'd prefer that I make ti with a milder variety of pepper next time. Anyway, a hit that's going into my permanent repertoire! Thanks, Ellie.