Spa Recipe from Rancho La Puerta: Grilled White Corn Soup with Leeks and Roasted Peppers

From Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa

In Mexico, fresh corn is roasted or grilled until smoky-sweet and deliciously chewy.  For this classic chowder, the corn is pan-roasted, then cooked to a golden velvet with leeks and aromatic vegetables.

Founder Deborah Szekeley and Chef Jesus Gonzales like to give food a quick last touch as it is served.  It might be as simple as a quick sauté of leeks, corn and peppers for this corn soup, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over tomatoes and basil or a dash of fennel powder on grilled fish.  That last touch always lifts each fish a notch, adding freshness and flavor, a hint of texture or temperature contrast and eye appeal.

4 ears sweet corn, white or yellow, shucked and silk removed
2 Leeks, white part only, washed and cut into ½ inch dice

2 ½ teaspoon olive oil, plus more for the pan

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch dice

½ stalk celery, minced

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

5 cups basic vegetable stock, or water

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper

1 tablespoon minced chives

 

1. Over a medium blow, cut off the corn kernels with a knife.  You should have about 2 ½ cups
2. In a lightly oiled, heavy bottom sauté pan, sear the corn in batches over medium heat until it has a few black spots.
3. Set aside ½ cup of the corn and ¼ cup each of the diced leeks and peppers.  In a 4-quart pot, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the remaining corn, leeks, peppers, celery, and garlic.  Cook slowly, stirring often, for 5 minutes.  Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf and salt.
4. Cook until the vegetables are tender.  Remove bay leaf.  In a blender or food processor , puree soup until smooth.  Add the black pepper and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if desired.
5. Just before serving, sauté the reserved corn, leeks, and peppers in the remaining ½ teaspoon of olive oil, and add them to the hot soup.  To serve ladle the soup into 6 warmed bowls and garnish with a pinch of chives.