Adapted from Stir by Barbara Lynch
~from Savoring Time in the Kitchen
Serves 4-6
10 medium earns corn, shucked, silk removed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup sliced shallot (about 1 large)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups whole milk
Garnish:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces mushrooms, preferably chanterelles, chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
About ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Remove the kernels from the cobs by slicing straight down each cob with a sharp chef’s knife, turning the cob and repeating until most of the kernels are off. Doing this over a rimmed baking sheet makes the job easier. Using the dull side of the knife, scrape the cob hard to extract the corn “milk,’ Reserve a few corncobs.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until the shallot is tender but not browned, stirring occassionally, about 5 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the corn kernels for the garnish and put the rest, including and liquid, in the saucepan. Season the corn with 2 teaspoons salt and about 10 grinds of pepper. Stir and then add the milk and 1 cup water. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. (At this point, add 2 or 3 corncobs to simmer with the mixture to add even more corn flavor. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is just tender, 8 to 12 minutes.
Remove the corncobs and puree the soup in a blender or food processor, in small batches to prevent overflow. If you like chunky soup, you can chill the soup as is or, if you would like a more elegant presentation, pass it through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing hard on the solids with a ladle to extract as much flavor and liquid as possible, and chill.
For the garnish:
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and shallot, season with a little salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not overly brown. Transfer to a small bowl and add the scallion and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, if neeessary.
Meanwhile, remove the soup from the refrigerator to take some of the chill off. You want it cool, but the flavors will be muted if it’s too cold.
Divide the soup among four to six bowls and center a spoonful of the mushroom garnish in each bowl. Serve immediately.
Do ahead:
Both the soup and the mushroom garnish can be made a day ahead of serving; keep both covered and refrigerated.