Green Chile & Oyster Chowder

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

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  lb  red potatoes, diced (1/2 inch)
• 1  onion, chopped
• 2 1⁄2 cups clam broth (or fish stock)
• 1  bay leaf
• 1⁄2 lb  fresh green chili
• 2  cups  peanut oil
• 1⁄2 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.