CORN AND COCONUT SOUP

This is one of the most indulgent soups you’ll ever eat. We make it every summer when corn is at its peak and serve it hot or chilled. We once had a server who loved it so much that he ordered it every day he worked, fi ve days a week. We were a li?le worried for him because it is so very rich, but he countered that since we only of f er it for a month or so, he had to get his fi ll. Touché! Get your fi ll when corn is so sweet that you can eat it raw and straight from the cob.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

The easiest way to remove the kernels from an ear of corn is to place a tea towel on a cu?ing board and hold the ear upright on the towel. Run a sharp knife down the cob to slice of f the kernels. They will collect on the tea towel, and you can shake them out into a bowl. Continue with the rest of the corn. You should have about 6 cups kernels. Set aside.

Step 2

In a large fl at-bo?omed saucepan, melt the bu?er over medium heat. Add the leeks and shallots and season with the salt and white pepper. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until the leeks and shallots are so? and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk (be sure to scrape all of the cream from the cans) and add 1 cup water. Stir in the lime leaves.

Step 3

Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Step 4

Let cool just a bit (for safety reasons), remove the lime leaves, and puree the soup in small batches in a blender on high. Strain the soup through a f i ne sieve until it is perfectly smooth and deliciously creamy. You may need to strain it twice. Discard the pulp that remains in the sieve. Divide the soup among four to six soup bowls and garnish each bowl with 1 teaspoon of the sambal and 1 thinly sliced Thai basil leaf. Serve immediately. The soup can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Step 5

Reheat over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes until hot, adding a bit of water if needed to loosen the soup.