This is the point of the year that poblano peppers are in my mind. Maybe its because Mexico’s Independence is in September or because they are in season. But I can’t help to cook lots of recipes around poblanos. This recipe is the labor of love. It takes time. You have to grill or broil the poblano peppers and the corn. Because the charring is what brings the smoky flavor profile that defines this recipe. Trust me its worth it but it takes time. So when I make it, I try to make a large batch. You can get 6 bowls out of this recipe.
Its a creamy chicken chowder built around deeply charred poblano peppers and sweet charred corn, with a corn-cob and cilantro-infused broth, Yukon gold potatoes and just enough Boursin to round everything out. I hope you like it.
What you will need:
For the Charred Vegetables:
5 large poblano peppers
5 ears fresh corn
1-2 teaspoons olive oil, for the corn
For the Corn-Cob Broth:
5 cups (ml) chicken stock
5 reserved corn cobs
½ bunch of fresh cilantro
1 bay leaf
For the Chicken:
4 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1½ lb (600-800 g)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Chowder:
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cumin
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, about 1 ½ lb (680 g), cut into cubes
One 5.2 oz (150 g) package Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs, at room temperature
Juice of ½ lemon, to your taste
½ lime zest, optional
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Garnish Options:
Reserved charred corn
Reserved roasted poblano
Mexican Crema
Crushed tortilla chips
Thinly sliced fresh jalapeno
Fresh Cilantro Leaves
Crispy shards of chicken skin
Kitchen Notes:
Char the corn aggressively. You want actual dark blistered spots. Don’t be timid with the color. the char is one of the primary flavors of the this chowder.
Charring the vegetables. You can grill or broil them, this step is up to you. Use whichever technique you are most comfortable with.
If broiling position an oven rack about 5-6 inches below he broiler and preheat to high. Place the whole poblanos and ears of corn on a sheet pan, rub corn with olive oil. Broil, turning periodically, until poblano are blackened on all sides and the corn developed substantial dark, charred patches.
Why skin-on chicken thighs? we will rely on the render fat from the skin to cook the onion and spices. It also gives a lot of flavor to our dish
Flavor profile: Because of the spices, it is so easy to turn this recipe into taco season forward. But you want the taste to be predominately poblano, not taco seasoning. But if you want it to taste like a taco that’s your choice 🤣
Instructions:
1. Char the poblano peppers and corn first.
You could use a broiler or a grill. I like to grill mine. Get the poblanos deeply blistered and blackened. Char the corn as well, until you have dark charred spots, not just cooked corn. We want the corn to have a char as well. That will bring a smoky profile to the chowder.
Place the poblano peppers in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes to steam. Let the corn cool enough to handle.
Peel away as much of the charred skin as possible. Remove the stems and scrape out the seeds, then roughly chop.
Cut the kernels from the corn. Do not discard the cobs.
Set aside about ¾ cup of charred corn kernels and ½ cup of chopped poblano for garnishing the finished bowls.
2. Make the corn-cob broth.
While the vegetables are cooling, pour the chicken stock into a medium saucepan.
Add the stripped corn cobs, 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, and bay leaf.
Bring to it to a simmer, reduce the eat to low, partially cover and gently simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the cobs, cilantro and bay leaf with tongs, or pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer.
Keep the broth warm.
Note: Don’t boil the broth aggressively, we are trying to extract the fresh sweetness of the corn and the aroma of the cilantro, not reduce the stock.
3. Sear the chicken
While the broth infuses, pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper to taste.
Place chicken thighs skin-side down in a cold Dutch oven, then bring it to medium heat. This slow start gives the fat time to render.
Let them cook skin-side down for around 8-10 minutes, until you’ve rendered a good amount of fat and the skin is deeply golden. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes, then remove. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
The chicken will not be completely cooked yet, and that is okay it’s intentional.
Remove and reserve the crispy chicken skin for garnishing later (if you want).
Look at how much fat is in the pot. We only need 2 tablespoons of rendered fat. If there is more than that, spoon most of it out until you are left with 2 tablespoons and the browned bits.
4. Build the aromatic base
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the diced onions to the render chicken fat with a small pinch of salt, cook for 5-7 minutes. Stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, Mexican oregano, coriander, and cumin.
Cook for only 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
We are deliberately keeping the spices restrained. The chowder should taste like poblano and corn, not cumin-forward taco soup.
5. Add the charred vegetables
Add the remaining charred poblano peppers and charred corn to the Dutch oven.
Stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes, allowing the vegetables to mingle with the aromatics and chicken fond.
6. Add the potatoes and infused broth
Add your diced Yukon gold potatoes and pour in the warm corn-cob broth and stir well. Scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven to release any remaining fond.
Nestle the chicken thighs into the broth, remember to remove the skin (save it for garnishing).
7. Simmer
Bring the chowder to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Partially cover and cook until potatoes are tender and the chicken has reached 165°F/74°C, approximately 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes cubes and chicken thighs.
Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it and set it aside.
8. Create the creamy potato-corn base
This is the important part. Scoop approximately 2 cups of chowder into a blender, deliberately choosing mostly potatoes, some corn and enough broth to blend easily.
Try to leave most of the poblano pieces in the Dutch oven.
Note: If you pick more poblano pepper, the color of your chowder will be green. We want the more potato for a silky velvety consistency.
Bled until completely smooth and velvety.
Return the purée to the Dutch oven and stir thoroughly.
The chowder should now have a creamy consistency while still containing whole pieces of potato, corn, and roasted poblano.
If it becomes thicker than what you like, add a splash of chicken stock.
9. Add the Boursin
Reduce the heat to low, add about 150 g (1 package) of room-temperature Boursin, breaking it into several pieces as you add it. So far this is my favorite combination.
Stir gently until completely melted into the broth. Taste it. If you want a richer, creamier chowder, add more Boursin.
The goal is to think: ‘roasted poblano and corn.”
Not: “Boursin soup.”
10. Shred the chicken
Shred the rested chicken thighs.
Return the chicken to the chowder and cook over low heat for another 2 minutes, just until everything is hot. Do not bring the chowder to boil once the Boursin has been added.
Optional: If the skin is still crispy, chop it or crumble it for serving.
11. Finish with lime
Turn off the heat and stir in the juice of ½ lime. Taste it before adding anything else.
Add additional lime juice as needed, fallowed by salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Trust me the lime makes this chowder delicious.
For more aromatic lime flavor, sprinkle finely grated lime zest.
The chowder should taste smoky, sweet, creamy and bright - not overly cheesy or heavily spiced.
12. Serve
Ladle into bowls and finish with some of the reserved charred corn and roasted poblano.
Or drizzle lightly with Mexican crema and add fresh cilantro, crispy tortilla strips, and a few paper-thin slices of fresh serrano or jalapeño.
Set the ambiance
A playlist that feels like September.
A playlist with fall vibes to cook with, the perfect soundtrack for a slow fall morning.
🍂 A Note from Lily
This a perfect recipe for the in-between months. For late-summer to early autumn evenings. I hope you enjoy.
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Wow this looks so good! I don’t think I’ve tried chowder before
You know I’m all about that corn! This is incredible, Lily!! Thank you for sharing-!!