Corn And Tomato Bisque - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 large jalapeno
1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 vidalia onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cups frozen corn kernels or 1 lb fresh corn kernels
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups chicken stock or 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
8 frozen plum tomatoes, halves coarsely chopped or 4 fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

Preparation

Roast the jalapeno on a skewer directly over a gas flame or in a pan under the broiler, turning, until charred all over.
Transfer the jalapeno to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes.
Peel, core, seed and finely chop the jalapeno.
In a small bowl, combine the jalapeno with the vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan.
Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes.
Add the corn and garlic and cook, stirring, until the corn is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the stock and simmer until the corn is tender, about 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer 1 1/2 cups of the corn to a blender, add the creme fraiche and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Return the puree to the soup.
Add the tomatoes, scallion and 1 tablespoon of cilantro to the soup and cook until heated through.
Ladle the soup into 4 shallow bowls, garnish with cilantro, jalapeno and a drizzle of the chile vinegar.
Serve hot.
Make ahead: The soup can be prepared through step 3 and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Reheat before proceeding.