Thursday, February 7, 2013

Corn, Potato, and Sausage Chowder




 
LUCY BURDETTE: On days when I have a lot of words to write--or if I'm imagining I'm on staff at the Key West Police Department (right), I need a fast dinner--but yummy of course! My stepmother used to make a corn chowder recipe that involved sausage, butter, and creamed corn, and probably some heavy cream too. It was delicious, but the kind of thing I always felt a little guilty eating. Over the years I've streamlined her recipe and we still love it. It's easy as cherry pie from a can and hearty enough to serve as supper. Tonight we're having it with a nice green salad, topped with avocado and pepper slices.

INGREDIENTS

 32 oz box of chicken broth (organic if you prefer)
1 12-16 oz roll of pork sausage (or use 6 or so links of chicken sausage)
1 large onion, chopped
2 large Idaho potatoes, chopped into thin slices
12 oz bag of frozen corn (of course, if it's corn season, feel free to use fresh!) I prefer the white shoepeg corn, but it wasn't available this time.

Fry up the sausage until brown, breaking up the roll into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Drain these well on a plate lined with paper towels.



In the same pan, with almost all of the grease drained off, saute the onions until brown. Pour the broth into a large stockpot, add the cooked sausage, the cooked onions, and the raw potato slices. Bring this to a simmer and cook until the potatoes start to get soft. (Maybe 15 minutes?) Add the corn and simmer another five minutes. You could add a dash of milk or cream at the end, but we like it just as it is. Maybe garnish with a couple of cranks of cracked pepper--and enjoy!

I'm afraid this recipe has nothing to do with Key West, but man and woman cannot live by Key Lime pie alone, right? Although I went to a book launch party last night for David Sloan's THE ULTIMATE KEY LIME PIE COOKBOOK--and he seems to think Key Lime goes with about everything! And it certainly would make a nice dessert after you've eaten a healthy soup and salad for supper...

Meanwhile, don't forget that TOPPED CHEF will be out in May! But you can pre-order the book today. And then please follow Lucy on Twitter,  Facebook, and Pinterest too.  

11 comments:

  1. That looks delicious and easy too.

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  2. That sounds great, for a cold winter night. Did somebody say "blizzard"? I think I actually have all the ingredients on hand, just in case.

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    1. So sorry about your upcoming weather Sheila! but if you've got this chowder bubbling and a good mystery to read, you'll be all set for the weekend!

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  3. Man and woman cannot eat by Key Lime Pie alone, but one could try for a while, right? Love this recipe. Hearty and filling. A good lunch or dinner. Nice.

    Daryl aka Avery

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    1. thanks Daryl/Avery! I did have the most delicious Key lime pie ever this week, at Latitudes on Sunset Key. My only regret is that I ate it so quickly, I forgot to take a picture:(

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  4. A wonderfully hearty dish for the coming storm. We're stocking up here in NYC, too. One never knows when the wind starts to blow...
    LOL on the Key Lime Pie book--that launch party must have been one tasty event!

    ~ Cleo

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    1. Good luck with the storm Cleo! There was a lot of Key lime stuff at the launch party, including key lime jello shots with graham cracker crumbs around the edge of the shot glasses. I tasted it, but stuck with a beer:)

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  5. Stay safe, Cleo!

    This sounds perfect for our rainy/snowy weather, Lucy. And I'll have a slice of that Key Lime Pie for dessert, too! YUM!

    ~Krista

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  6. I agree! Perfect for a snow day. I can do that tomorrow and I'll be a hero around here. Thanks, Lucy!

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