August 2006: Fresh Corn Soup With Chiles, Shrimp, and Mexican Cheese

4 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears)

1 cup water

¼ cup unsalted butter

3 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup canola oil

4 corn tortillas julienned

8 extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 tablespoons crumbled queso fresca or feta cheese

2 dried pasilla chile peppers, lightly toasted, and finely minced

¼ cup finely chopped chilantro

Place the corn and water in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a sieve placed over a medium bowl, pressing down with the back of a spoon to extract all of the liquid. Discard the solids. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the puree and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the milk and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the soup has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a medium skillet and fry the tortilla strips over medium high heat until crisp, about 20-30 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towels. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the pan. Season the shrimp with salt and saute over medium high heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and reserve shrimp.

In the center of each serving bowl, place about 1 ½ tablespoons of the chesse, and cover with a sprinkle of tortilla strips. Carefully ladle the soup into the bowls around the cheese and tortilla strips. Place 2 cooked shrimp on top of the tortilla strips. Sprinkle each serving with a sprinkle of minced chiles and cilantro.

4 servings