Lighthouse Corn Chowder

Corn chowder with crackers

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City/Region: Boston

Time Period: 1896

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Lighthouse keepers had it pretty rough in the 18th and 19th centuries. They had a grueling job that kept them busy all day and they had to get up every few hours during the night. There was also the diet of mostly dried and canned foods, and the small matter of regular exposure to mercury from maintaining Fresnel lenses. No wonder lighthouse keepers were notorious for going crazy!

It’s a small comfort, but they did have the ingredients to make this corn chowder from Boston in 1896. They often ate chowders and soups because they could keep warm all day and night while the lighthouse keeper was working. This is a really simple, really delicious chowder that is so full of flavor. It’s not as thick and heavy as a modern chowder, which means you (I) can eat more of it! It’s one of the better soups I’ve made in my life, let alone on the channel.

“1 can corn.
4 cups potatoes, cut in 1/4 inch slices.
1 1/2 inch cube fat salt pork.
1 sliced onion.
4 cups scalded milk.
8 common crackers.
3 tablespoons butter.
Salt and pepper.
Cut pork in small pieces and try out; add onion and cook five minutes, stirring often that onion may not burn; strain fat into a stewpan. Parboil potatoes five minutes in boiling water to cover; drain, and add potatoes to fat; then add two cups boiling water; cook until potatoes are soft, add corn and milk, then heat to boiling point. Season with salt and pepper; add butter, and crackers split and soaked in enough cold milk to moisten. Remove crackers, turn chowder into a tureen, and put crackers on top.”

— Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer, 1896

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Ingredients:

• 1 quart (1 L) whole milk
• 3 tablespoons fatty salt pork, or bacon fat
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4” pieces, 4-5 potatoes
• 2 cups (475 ml) boiling water
• 3 cups canned sweet corn, drained (about 1 pound, 4 oz worth)
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 large plain dry crackers (don’t use something like Ritz or club crackers, they’ll disintegrate)

Instructions:

1. Scald the milk by adding it to a saucepan and warm it over medium heat until it reaches 180°F (82°C). Set it aside and let it cool.
2. Heat the pork fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes until most of the fat has melted into grease. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often so they don’t burn. You want them to be translucent and start to brown.
3. Carefully pour out any remaining grease into a pot (using a strainer is really helpful), and remove any fatty pieces that might be remaining. Set aside.
4. Add the potatoes to a small saucepan with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, just to soften them up a bit.
5. Strain the potatoes and add them to the pot with the grease from the onions, then add the boiling water and set the pot over high heat and bring it to a simmer. When the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the corn, scalded milk, and onions. Stir and slowly bring it to a gentle boil.
6. If you’re using smaller crackers, you can skip this step. If you’re using large crackers, break them into large pieces and add them to a bowl of cold milk, soak for 10 seconds, and take them out. Set aside.
7. When the chowder begins to boil, add the salt and pepper and stir. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the softened crackers and let them float on top while the chowder simmers for another 10 minutes to 15 minutes to thicken.
8. If you want to follow the 19th century recipe, take out the crackers, though I find this to be more trouble than it’s worth, since you put them back on top once you’ve ladled the chowder into a bowl. Either way, the chowder is now ready to serve forth.

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