Chapter Thirty-Three

The Holler Holler

September Volume Two

The month finally ends with “brrrrr”, so you know what that means. Chilly weather means comfort food and we’re here to make sure every belly in Whiskey Hollow is full and happy during these fall and winter nights. Everyone has heard of the Four Cs that matter to every bride. Well, these are the Three Cs that should matter to every wife. Chicken Corn Chowder. Courtesy of Sue Ellen Berry. Y’all remember to visit her after Thanksgiving for some of her butter

Chicken Corn Chowder

Serve it up in a big ol’ bowl or a bread bowl if you’re feeling fancy. For some extra personality, throw on some of the toppings listed at the bottom of the recipe. Don’t try them all, though, or you’re going to just end up with a mess

1 cup butter plus four tablespoons

Four tablespoons or so bacon fat plus another two tablespoons

2 carrots, diced

2 onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Cornstarch

½ cup flour

3 cups corn kernels (Talk to Cletus. He has some of the best corn in the Hollow and he says this year’s crop is just about too much for him to handle)

4 potatoes, peeled and diced

Couple of cups of chicken chopped up, however much you like

6 cups chicken stock

3 cups milk

1 cup cream

Little bit of nutmeg

Poultry seasoning

Salt and pepper

• Boil the potatoes in the chicken stock until about halfway cooked through, drain, and keep the stock

• Keep the potatoes aside

• Get out your biggest heavy-bottom pot and put it over medium-high heat until hot

• Lower to medium heat

• Add butter and bacon fat, stirring together until fully melted

• Throw in the carrots and onions, stir with a wooden spoon to coat with the fat

• Cook down for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally

• Add the garlic and cook until you can smell it

• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir together to coat with fat. Cook until it smells a little toasty

• Add the stock to the vegetables, stirring to mix the flour into the stock

• Add poultry seasoning, nutmeg, and black pepper until it smells seasoned. Be careful with the nutmeg. You don’t want your chowder tasting like the pumpkin pie fell into it

• Add in milk and cream, stirring until everything is mixed up well

• Cook for a few minutes until the milk is warm and then taste for seasoning

• Add salt and pepper as needed

• Let the mixture cook for another ten minutes or so to blend the flavors together

• Put your favorite strainer over another big pot and pour the mixture through it to catch all of the vegetables. Reserve both the solids and the liquids

• Wipe out your soup pot. No need to do any real cleaning. You are just going to be cooking in it again

• Add the next two tablespoons of bacon fat into the pot

• Add your little chicken chunks and let them cook until nice and browned all around

• Dump the cooked vegetables from the strainer back into the pot and stir around with the chicken

• Pour half of the milk and stock mixture back into the pot. Reserve the other half in jars in the refrigerator to be used for chicken pot pie tomorrow

• Take one big ladle of the mix and put it in a bowl

• Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir to combine everything again

• Add the corn kernels

• Add the potatoes and allow them to cook for several minutes until they feel completely soft

• Add a couple tablespoons of cornstarch into the bowl of milk and stock mix and whisk until dissolved

• Drizzle the slurry into the chowder, stirring constantly

• Cook for five minutes to thicken slightly

• Scoop up two ladles of the mix, making sure that you get some potatoes and corn, and put it into the blender and whir it up until smooth

• Pour all this back into the chowder

• Repeat with another two ladles of the mix

• Now’s the time to taste for seasoning

• Add poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste

• Stir in the remaining butter

• Cook until hot and thick

Make your chowder fancy:

• Serve in bread bowls. Talk to Bubba Ray about how he makes his cornbread bowls

• Top with crumbled bacon and a little drizzle of hot bacon fat

• Top with a sprinkle of cheese

• Roast more corn kernels in a hot pan with butter and onion until soft and browned, then put on top