00:00Why mass corn's natural sweetness when it's already perfect, right?
00:03Today we're celebrating pill corn potage. No bouillon, no sugar, no flour. Just corn's
00:09incredible natural magic. For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website,
00:14just google corn potage space statue to find me. First, let's get our oven preheated to 180 degrees
00:20celsius and start on these gorgeous homemade boutons. Grab about 150 grams of baguette,
00:27cut into slices and stack them up. Cut them into bite-sized tubes like this.
00:46Place them in a mixing bowl and add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp of melted butter,
00:531 tsp of dry mixed herbs, and 1 tsp of salt. Mix everything together until every single piece
01:01is evenly coated with that herby battery goodness. For the mixed herbs, Italian seasonings or something
01:07similar works great. Use your go-to herb mix for this. As always, all ingredients and exact
01:13measurements for this recipe can be found in the description box below. Now spread those trutons
01:19over a baking tray in a single layer and make sure they don't overlap. Each piece needs equal exposure
01:25to heat for the perfect consistent browning we're after. Now fair warning, this recipe yields plenty
01:32of croutons for a generous topping, and what you might call a texture please, I'm upset with crunch.
01:38When I eat corn potage, I use 2-3 times the amount a normal person would, so these measurements are
01:45based
01:45on my crunch-loving standards. If you're thinking that's way too much, feel free to halve the quantities,
01:52or even go with a quarter of the amount. Pop them in the oven for 10 minutes.
02:01Let's prepare our corn. Remove the husk and silk from 2 fresh ears of corn, then use a sharp knife
02:08to
02:08slice off the kernels in rows. While I do this, let's talk about what makes this soup so special.
02:13Corn potage is this incredible thick, smooth soup that celebrates corn in its purest form.
02:20The word potage comes from French, but this dish underwent a fascinating transformation in Japan.
02:26Wasai as a restaurant fare became a household staple, especially after Pokka revolutionised
02:32convenience food with their canned version in the 70s. Now it's a beloved Japanese corn food food,
02:38perfect for warming you up with its subtle sweetness and velvety texture. Make sure to cut just deep
02:45enough to remove the kernels without going too deep into the cob. Kernels are probably going to fly
02:51everywhere and there's really no getting around it, so just embrace the little bit of chaos.
03:00Let's cut those corn into fairs or quarters, but don't even think about throwing them away. You might be
03:07thinking what good are these corn anyway, but they're going to play a major role in adding incredible
03:14depth to our soup. Now for the aromatics. Heat your pot or pan of medium heat and melt two tablespoons
03:21of butter. Add 100 grams of thinly sliced onion and cook until they become soft and translucent
03:29with beautiful golden egg juice. This magical process transforms the onion's sharp bite into
03:36mellow sweetness that perfectly complements corn's natural sugar. Once they reach this point, reduce
03:42the heat to low. Next, pour 300 milliliters of whole milk into the pan along with a pinch of salt
03:49and white
03:50pepper. By the way, please don't use low fat milk here. You need whole milk to achieve that rich and
03:55creamy texture. And here's where those corn cups become stars. Nestle them right into the milk and
04:02bring everything to a gentle simmer. Cups contain nearly as much sweetness and umami as the kernels
04:08themselves. The area between the kernels and the cob is rich in glutamic acid that creates natural flavor
04:16enhancement. By simmering the cups, you're essentially creating a vegetable stock that
04:21intensifies the corn flavor throughout your soup. Keep that temperature gentle. We're looking for tiny
04:27bubbles around the edges, not a rolling boil. Milk proteins and whey can get all clumpy and separated
04:34when you cook them at high temperatures. Keeping the temperature below a boil helps maintain the creaminess
04:41and silky mouthfeel we're after. Once you see those tiny bubbles around the edges, turn off the heat
04:47and remove the corn cups. Add the corn kernels with another pinch of salt and pepper. Return to low heat
04:59and bring back to the same gentle simmer. Watch for small bubbles appear around the edges of your pot.
05:06This indicates your soup base is ready for the next step. Remove the pan from heat and allow it to
05:13cool
05:13slightly before blending. If you have an immersion blender, that's perfect. Unfortunately, I don't have
05:19one so I'm going to go ahead and use my blender. My blender jug is glass so it can cope
05:25with hot liquids,
05:26but if your blender is plastic, wait for the soup to cool first. Working in batches if necessary,
05:32blend the corn potage until completely smooth. This usually takes 60 to 90 seconds depending on your
05:39blender's power. The goal is a velvety consistency without any detectable pieces. If you prefer some
05:47texture, pulse the blender for short intervals. For restaurant quality smoothiness, blend longer and
05:54definitely consider the straining step that follows. Now, pour the blended soup through a fine mesh sieve,
06:02using a spatula to gently press the mixture through. This removes any remaining fibre or small pieces
06:08that escaped the blender, resulting in a truly silky texture that cools the spoon. While straining is
06:16optional, it's the difference between good and absolutely sublime. Time for the final seasoning and
06:22this step is crucial. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. And remember, salt doesn't just add
06:29saltiness, it actually makes the corn's natural sweetness stand out more. Add it gradually, testing
06:35as you go. When using peak season fresh corn, you might find your soup tastes almost dessert-like in
06:41its sweetness, so you need salt to balance it out. The goal is to reach a point where you taste
06:47the
06:47corn's beautiful sweetness first, followed by a subtle richness that lingers pleasantly after each
06:54spoonful. Not sweet all the way through, we want the perfect balance, that's why the salt is so important.
07:00Serve this warm in bowls, drizzled with fresh cream if you like, and topped with your homemade croutons
07:07for the perfect balance of creamy comfort and satisfying crunch. The contrast is absolutely divine.
07:18And there you have it, corn potage that celebrates everything beautiful about corn. Like many soups,
07:25the flavours actually improve after resting in the refrigerator as all the ingredients melt together
07:30beautifully. Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
07:38Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time, and if you're ready to cook, grab the written
07:42instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen.
07:48Here we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now, and if you want
07:51to watch more
07:51similar videos, don't miss my soup playlist popping up on your screen as well. Thanks so much for
07:56watching, and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye!
