Project 1: Blackened Chicken and Corn Chowder

For my first recipe, I have developed a version of chicken corn chowder.  Looking through multiple recipes for corn chowders, I decided I wanted to integrate a mix of vegetables into the soup, as well as add a little heat.  This idea came from a southwestern corn chowder I tried previously and truly enjoyed.

 

 I didn’t choose a specific recipe to alter, but rather looked at the basic ingredients listed in multiple chowder recipes I found online.  I did, however, look to a recipe my dad had for a chowder-style vegetable soup to see what vegetables I might want to combine in my soup.  One idea that came from this recipe was using leeks in place of the traditional onions.  I found the leeks added a nice onion flavor to the soup without being so intense as some onions can be.  Also, the pale green parts of the leeks were visually desirable in the soup.  I tried using carrots in my first test recipe, but found the orange bits unattractive and a bit sweet for the overall product.  Thus, I omitted them in the recipe.

 



 

Because I wanted the slightly spicy element that I liked in the southwestern chowder, I decided on the blackened chicken.  The blackening seasoning adds a slightly smoky element to the chowder and adds heat to the end of a bite.  I counted on the flour and half-and-half in the chowder to take some of the heat away from the chicken so as to not take away from the flavor of the corn and other vegetables.

 

In testing my recipe for the chowder, I made several alterations between batches to account for issues I faced along the way.  One such issue was that of the chowder’s thickness.  When I began the recipe, I decided I wanted to thicken the soup using a type of rue as a base.  I did this by cooking the vegetables in butter then adding flour to them before adding any of the liquid elements.  Additionally, I added half-and-half to make the soup a bit thicker and creamier.  The tricky part with this type of thickening is determining exactly how much flour would create the optimal consistency in the final product.  My first trial, using three tablespoons flour, resulted in a chowder that was too thin for my liking.  As a result, I increased the flour content and found that ½ cup gave a good thickness without taking away from the flavor of the soup.  The first version of the chowder I made was a bit spicy for my liking, but the added flour in the next trial helped mellow the heat to the point where I was happy with the balance.

 

After all this testing and adjusting, I came up with the above recipe.  I hope you all enjoy it!

 

Blackened Chicken and Corn Chowder

This is a slightly spicy spin on the traditional creamy chicken corn chowder, adding warmth through the integration of blackened chicken pieces.

 

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium leek, white and light green portions only, finely chopped

½ stalk celery, finely chopped

3 small red potatoes, finely chopped

1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

3 cups frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

2 blackened chicken breasts, finely chopped
    (see below)

½ cup curly parsley

¾ cup half-and-half

salt and pepper 

For blackened chicken:

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

2 thin chicken breast slices (about ¼ pound each)

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

1. Melt butter in medium sized pan over medium-high heat. 

2. Add leek and cook, stirring often, until slightly browned, about 6 minutes. 

3. Stir in potato, pepper, celery, and corn. Cook until slightly soft, about 10 minutes. If vegetables begin to stick to bottom of pan, lower heat slightly.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

 

4. While vegetables are cooking, prepare blackened chicken and reserve:

- Combine oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper on flat plate or in
a 9x9 baking dish.  Season with salt and pepper.

            - Add chicken, one piece at a time, to dish and coat completely with seasoning.

- Add olive oil to sauté pan and heat over medium-high to high heat for a few minutes, or until sizzling is heard when chicken is added. Make sure oil does not smoke or burn.

- Cook chicken pieces in pan, about 3 minutes on each side, or until the outside of the chicken is dark but not burnt and chicken is cooked through. Reduce heat if pan gets too hot.
 

Blackening seasoning ready for chicken to be added.

 

5. Stir in flour, coating all the vegetables.  Cook for 1 minute. 

6. Add chicken broth, making sure to scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. 

7. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and add parsely. 

8. Stir in chicken and reduce heat to low. 

9. Add half-and-half and simmer on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until ready to serve.  Do not keep heat on for more than 20 minutes after half-and-half is added.

 

10. Garnish with curly parsley and serve with sliced bread, if desired. 

Yield: about 8 (one cup) servings