Crema de Quinoa de Zuleta
Yield
4-6 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 cups vegetable oil
1 small Idaho potato, peeled and cut into thin strips
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion, cut into long thin strips
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 to 8 cloves)
1 tablespoon achiote paste
1 1/2 cups quinoa, any color
2 ears fresh white sweet corn, kernels cut off the cob (1 cup)
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
4 oz. cooked bacon, chopped
Sliced avocado as garnish
Preparation Method
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To fry the potatoes, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 375°F. Add the potatoes in batches, turning in the oil until golden brown and very crispy on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Remove the fried potatoes to the lined baking sheet to drain and cool. Season to taste with salt.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic,
- Stir in the quinoa and corn and cook, stirring often, until the grain is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock and the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, medium-low heat, and cook the chowder uncovered until the grain is very tender and the liquid is reduced by a quarter, about 45 minutes.
- Fold in the parsley, chives, bacon, and fried potatoes, and season the quinoa to taste with salt. Garnish with the avocado.
Fresh corn is always the best choice, but it may not be in season when you find yourself most in need of this kind of creamy, comforting sustenance—frozen corn is fine in a pinch.