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Memphis Country Ham and Corn Chowder with Bourbon

Source of Recipe

From "Pig: King of the Southern Table" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"Frankly, this Southern-style chowder is just as good with leftover regular smoked ham or three to four thick slices of premium bacon, and if fresh corn is out of season, you can substitute a 10-ounce package of frozen corn kernels (but not canned corn). The gentleman in Memphis who concocted this chowder one late-summer evening used the hock of a whole baked country ham, but if your only option is packaged raw ham and you don't care for a salty chowder, you might want to soak the ham in water for about 30 minutes before cooking it. (Also, if the ham doesn't have much fat to render, brown it in about a tablespoon of butter or oil.)"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¼ pound country ham, fat trimmed and reserved and lean meat diced
â—¦ 1 small onion, diced
â—¦ ¼ cup bourbon
â—¦ 5 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced
â—¦ 3 ½ cups milk
â—¦ 6 large ears fresh corn, shucked and kernels cut from the cobs (about 3 cups)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons butter
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper to taste
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish


Recipe

In a small skillet, render the ham fat over moderate heat till crisp and discard the pieces of fat. Add the lean meat to the skillet and brown lightly, about 5 minutes. Add the onion to the skillet, stir till golden, about 5 minutes, and set the ham and onion aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the bourbon over low heat, ignite it, and let it flame for 1 minute, and then set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough water to cover, bring to a low boil, and cook till tender and most of the water has boiled away, about 15 minutes. Add the ham and onion, the bourbon, milk, corn, butter, nutmeg, and pepper and stir till well blended. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook till the corn is tender, about 10 minutes.

Serve the chowder piping hot in wide soup bowls with parsley sprinkled over the top.

Makes 4 to 6 servings