I’m slowly recovering from the world’s worst cold (well, that might be exaggerating, but let’s just say I went to bed at 7 PM yesterday), and today I suddenly had a craving for corn. Which is slightly odd, to say the least, because corn never features high on my list of things to crave. This list is usually topped by foods such as popcorn, hummus, french fries and of course my not-so-secret lover, cheese. Anyway, since I was still feeling a little under the weather it seemed like a perfect opportunity to make soup. Corn chowder is a play on the famous New England clam chowder, with corn substituting the clams. Usually bacon is added as well, but for a slightly healthier option I used smoked chicken breast. Since I can never view soup as a meal on its own, I made a very nice ham and cheese quesedilla with some leftover parma ham, and I must say it was a perfect partner for this hearty chowder. Dinner was on the table in less than 30 minutes, which means it is a perfect and quick dinner for the weekdays!

You’ll need (makes enough soup for 2-3 persons, 4 if you’re like me and serve more food):

-25 grams of butter

- 150 grams of potato, peeled and diced

- 1 shallot or red onion, diced

- 2 tomatos, diced

- 1 dl of white wine

- 400 ml of chicken stock*

- 1 smoked chicken breast, diced

- 1 can of sweet corn, around 300 grams

- 4 tbsp of cream

- some herbs, like chives or fresh thyme, chopped

- salt and pepper to taste

For the quesedillas:

- 4 corn tortillas

- grated cheese

- (parma) ham

For the soup: melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot and add the potatoes, tomatoes and onion. Let it sweat for 2 minutes on a medium to low heat. Then add the wine and chicken stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes more, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Then add the corn and about three quarters of the diced chicken breast, plus your herb(s) of choice. Simmer for a few minutes more. I like my soup smooth, so here’s where I blend the soup with my immersion blender, until it resembles a purée. If you like your chowder chunkier, leave as is. Add the cream and season to taste (stock from a jar or cube tends to be much saltier than homemade stock, so I usually just add some pepper). Your corn chowder is now finished.

While your soup is simmering, whip out the tortillas and cover with ham. Grate lots of cheese over it, and cover with another tortilla. Heat a pan (don’t put oil or butter in it: it needs to be dry) and put the quesedilla in. Lower the heat, otherwise it’ll burn quite quickly. When the underside is browned and the cheese is starting to melt, flip the quesedilla over and brown the other side. When done, slide it on a plate and cut into wedges. Hey presto, you have quesedillas! Repeat as often as you like. Serve with the chowder.The fun thing about quesedillas is that they are very easy to vary. You could make them with cheese only, or with smoked chicken, or with tomatoes, or with avocado, or with chorizo, or with mushrooms… Let your imagination run wild!

*I used chicken stock from a jar. Don’t judge me! I made chicken stock a few weeks back and I put the pot on my balcony to cool off slightly before I froze it, where I discovered it again a week later. So yeah, I used chicken stock from a jar. Plus, most cookbooks advise you to keep chicken carcasses in the freezer until you have enough to make stock, and I just don’t have the room for that. Also, I don’t like Foghorn Leghorn (or rather, his dead body) to stare me in the face every time I take out some frozen peas.