The thing we love most about soups and chowders is that it’s easy to pack in lots of vegetables, herbs and flavor (and little to no meat) without adding tons of calories. This gorgeous, vibrant chowder is packed with sweet potatoes – a known superfood. If you or your children are leery about sweet potatoes, start by using half russets, half sweet potatoes in this recipe. You really won’t even notice the sweet potatoes and your children will think they are carrots. Make it a point to taste the sweet potato and you will see how delicious and slightly sweet they are, eliminating your trepidation for future sweet potato encounters. A word about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams: sweet potatoes are almost always mislabeled as “yams” in the supermarket. Apparently, true yams (which aren’t tapered at both ends and have a thick, bark-like skin) aren’t even grown here, in the U.S. and are natives of Asia, the Caribbean, and West Africa. So, unless you’re in a pretty posh American grocery store or an ethnic food store, you probably haven’t ever seen a true yam (http://colinpurrington.com/projects/yams-versus-sweet-potatoes/). That said, it’s pretty safe to say that anything labeled “yams” or “sweet potatoes” are, in fact, all sweet potatoes, just different varieties ranging from the deep orange flesh of the “garnets” and “jewels” to the lighter varieties with almost white flesh. Use whatever kind you like best for this recipe! The deep orange-fleshed ones are totally striking in this chowder, so we suggest using those.
The fresh thyme is prominent in this dish, and the rotisserie chicken makes it easy as pie (hold on….pie isn’t usually easy…unless you’re using a store-bought crust…deep thoughts).
Have your kids help you husk the corn and pick thyme leaves from their sprigs. They will also enjoy “helping” you shred chicken, and this recipe only calls for 2 cups so you will be able to afford to lose some to their hungry mouths. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes help your body keep healthy levels of sugar in your blood.
- Thyme helps to protect your cells, which helps you stay healthy all-around.
- Corn has a lot of lutein, which is great for your eyes.
I realize that this is a very, very long stretch, but since this dish didn’t scream any particular ethnicity, and since we mentioned that true yams come from West Africa, among other countries, let’s learn a few things about West Africa and it’s people. Because how often do we get to do THAT? Particular to Nigeria:
- Most schools in Nigeria have really strict dress codes, right down to hairstyle and jewelry.
- Nigerians LOVE soccer.
- A common thing eaten with many meals are plantains, which are like tough bananas. They are usually fried or toasted.
Adapted from: Roasted Corn and Chicken Chowder
- 2 ears of corn, husked
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 scallions, sliced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 1½ teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (from 4 large sprigs)
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2.5 cups chicken STOCK
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast (about 10 ounces; skin removed)
- ½ cup whole milk
- 4 whole-grain dinner rolls, for serving
- Preheat the broiler. Put the corn on a rimmed baking sheet; broil, turning, until lightly charred on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, char the corn directly over a gas burner or on a grill over medium-high heat.) Transfer to a cutting board; let cool slightly, then cut off the kernels and transfer to a bowl. Working over the bowl, run the back of a chef's knife down the cobs to extract the juices; discard the cobs.
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions, the celery, sweet potato, thyme, cayenne, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the cornmeal; cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 1 minute. Add the corn, its juices, 2.5 cups water and 2.5 cups STOCK. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender and the soup has thickened slightly, 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the chicken and milk. Cook until the chicken is warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes (do not boil). Season with salt and black pepper. Top each serving with the reserved scallions and serve with the dinner rolls.
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