White Corn Vichyssoise

By Lutie

Joseph Humphrey, the chef at Murray Circle at Sausalito, California’s new eco-lodge Cavallo Point, simmers this soup with the corn cobs to deepen the flavor.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 6 ears of corn—kernels cut off the cobs and cobs broken in half
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Extra-virgin olive oil or white truffle oil, for drizzling

Preparation

Step 1

In a saucepan, bring the water and broth to a boil with the corn kernels, cobs, onion, garlic, celery and vermouth.

Simmer for 20 minutes. Discard the cobs.

Puree the soup in a blender. Strain into a large, clean saucepan, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the cream.

Serve the soup hot or chilled; garnish with the mushrooms, cilantro and olive oil or white truffle oil.