Chilled Sweet Corn Bisque

Lobster Picnic

Dinner Party Guide

All  Lobster Picnic Recipes

We’re starting our Lobster Picnic dinner party with chilled sweet corn bisque. Serve it in delicate tea cups as an amuse-bouche or with a spread of summer salads.

Our top tips:

• Adding a pinch or two of sugar while the corn is sweating helps bring out the natural sweetness of the corn, especially if corn is just coming into season.

• Avoid burns or a big mess by filling the blender no more than half-full and remove the center cap to vent the steam. Hold the lid down with a tea towel and start on the lowest setting before gradually increasing the speed.

• Taste the soup when it’s completely chilled and re-season with salt and a splash of acid. Chilled food needs more salt because cold numbs our taste receptors (they’re most responsive between 85-95ºF).

Chilled Sweet Corn Bisque
serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 ears corn, shucked

• aromatics like bay leaf, garlic cloves, peppercorns, onion, and thyme for the corn stock

• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 cup cream

• salt to taste

• pinch of sugar

• sherry vinegar to taste

• freshly cracked black pepper

• minced chives or chive blossoms

Equipment

• large pot

• sauce pot

• blender

• fine-meshed sieve

Preparation

1. Cut the kernels from the cob.

2. In a large pot, add the cobs and aromatics like onion, garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorns and cover with water (about 6 cups). Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about an hour or until flavorful.

3. Strain the cobs and aromatics from the stock, and discard.

4. In a sauce pot over medium heat, add the olive oil or butter. Sweat the onions until translucent and add the corn. Sweat together until the corn is tender and season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Add the garlic and sweat for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.

5. Add the 4 cups of corn stock and the bay leaf. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the corn is completely tender. Add the cream, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

6. Remove from the heat. In batches, fill the blender only halfway, cover the lid with a clean tea towel, and blend the soup until smooth. Pass each batch through a fine-meshed strainer.

7. Chill the soup down. Once cold, season the soup to taste with salt and a splash of sherry vinegar. If needed, adjust the consistency with corn stock or water.

8. Serve chilled in bowls with a crack of black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and minced chives or chive blossoms.

Questions about the recipes? Email britt@parisdiningclub.com