This recipe is an absolutely perfect starter for any chilly night or winter supper. As a main course it is a wonderful blank slate to add diced carrots, bacon or chopped ham for a complete entree. Served with French bread or in a baked bread bowl for a rustic presentation, it will warm your family or guests from the inside out. Garnish with chilled sour cream and chopped scallions. If you have approximately three cups of leftover mashed potatoes in the refrigerator from a previous meal, simply forego the initial steps of creating a potato mash, and use those for the basis of the recipe instead; it will cut your preparation time easily in half. This is also a great recipe to make ahead and freeze, for a quick "to-go" when time or energy is minimal.
Ingredients
Potato Mash:
4-5 large rustic potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk or cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Caramelized Onions:
3 sweet yellow onions, halved and roughly sliced
6 teaspoons butter
4 teaspoons olive oil
5 minced garlic cloves
8 Tablespoons dry white wine
5 Tablespoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons honey
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 cup sherry
2-2 1/2 cups broth (vegetarian if you would prefer, but chicken or beef broth recommended for flavor)
2 cups cream
2 cups grated cheddar or gruyere cheese (or preferred, such as mozzarella or parmesan)
6 Tablespoons chilled sour cream (garnish)
Chopped scallions (garnish)
Preparation
In a large pot of boiling, salted water poach the potatoes until cooked throughout. Drain and mash. Return the potatoes to the pot and add the butter, milk or cream, salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste. et aside.
In a large skillet add the Caramelized Onions ingredients. Saute on low and slow for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, stirring very frequently to avoid the garlic from burning, until the onions are extremely limp and lucid through.
In the large pot of potatoes add the caramelized onions and the remaining ingredients: sherry, broth and cream. Combine the ingredients well and bring the stove up to medium heat. Stir until the chowder has reached desired texture and warmed throughout, making sure that the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
Serve and garnish with chilled sour cream and scallions.
Serves: 6 (main portion) to 8 (starter)
