THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’

Corn Soup

1 can of corn, 2 tablespoons butter, 

1 pint boiling water, 2 tablespoons flour,

1 pint milk, 1 teaspoon salt,

1 slice onion, few grains of pepper.

Chop corn, add water;  let simmer twenty minutes;  strain through a sieve.  Scald milk with onion;  remove onion, add milk to corn.  Stir in butter and flour.  Season to taste, let all come to a boil.

~The Art of Cooking. Guelph, Ontario: The Guelph Foundry Co. Limited (I have searched high and low and there was no date noted in any of my aunt’s reference material).

Interesting fact: Canned corn and tomatoes were available in Canada in the late 1800’s – there was a canning factory located in Picton, Ontario.

THE UPDATED RECIPE

• 1  12-ounce can of corn (canned sweet corn is great)
• 2 c. boiling water
• 2 c. milk
• 1 slice of onion
• 2 Tb. butter
• 2 Tb. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• dash of white pepper.

Drain the corn (reserving the liquid) and finely chop the kernels.

Combine the liquid from the corn with the boiling water, and also the chopped kernels, in a saucepan.

Bring this mixture to a boil over medium-low heat, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Then press the mixture through a cone-shaped sieve, or use a hand immersion blender, to form a puree.

In a small saucepan, scald the milk with the slice of onion in it over low heat until it is steaming hot; remove from the heat, and discard the onion.

Combine the butter and flour to form a paste.

Put the pureed corn into a saucepan;  add the scalded milk, and then stir in the paste of flour and butter.

Add the salt, and add pepper to taste.

Let the soup come to a boil, and then simmer gently until the soup thickens;  stir continuously to prevent it from sticking.

Serve piping hot.

Yield:  3 to 4 servings.

This corn soup is a lovely colour, and has a delicate flavour. If you like, top with ‘Fried Bread for Soup‘ for a bit of crunch.

A note from Patricia: It’s corn season, and I’ve had a hankering for corn, and although this recipe calls for canned corn, I thought this recipe might satisfy my corn cravings. I’ll be honest… I was a bit concerned about the fact that this recipe didn’t call for a ‘broth’ base; would it be tasteless and bland? And scalding milk with a slice of onion in it? What? This was all new to me. However, after carefully following the instructions, and adding a pinch of cayenne based on the historical suggestion below, it’s safe to say that this corn soup was absolutely fantastic. I used 1:1 gluten-free flour to make the flour/butter paste, and dressed up the soup with some reserved corn kernals, gluten-free croutons, sliced baby tomatoes from my garden, and some fresh chives and parsley. The soup was creamy and sweet and savoury, and was the perfect lunch. YUM!

CREAM CORN SOUP.

….After running into tureen the addition of half a cup of whipped cream is an improvement.

~Culinary Landmarks or Half-Hours with Sault Ste. Marie Housewives. 3rd Edition. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario: St. Luke’s Woman’s Auxiliary, 1909.

When making corn bisque, use cayenne with a little sugar for seasoning.

~Jefferis, B. G., Nichols, J. L., & Nichols, J. L. (Mrs.). The Household Guide or Domestic Cyclopedia. Toronto: Coles Publishing Co., 1897.

The soup ladle should be placed in front of the lady of the house, who always serves the soup;…

~Kellogg, E. E. Science in The Kitchen. Battle Creek, Michigan: Health Publishing Company, 1892.