Recipe of the week: Wolfgang Puck’s end-of-summer soup

Chef-entrepreneur Wolfgang Puck spends about 200 days a year on the road, said Jesse Katz in Food & Wine. But “the wunderkind of California cuisine” occasionally finds time to cook at home. Puck created this recipe

during a recent family lunch for his fiancée and their two young sons in the backyard of their Spanish-style villa in Beverly Hills.

Recipes of the week

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Corn and Bacon Soup With Jalapeño Crema

10 medium ears of corn, shucked

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 oz lean bacon, finely diced (1/2 cup)

1 celery rib, finely diced

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, finely diced

3 cups whole milk

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

Kosher salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus cilantro leaves, for garnish

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground white pepper

Set box grater in wide, shallow bowl, coarsely grate 6 ears corn to make 2 cups grated corn. Cut kernels from remaining 4 ears to make 2 cups of kernels. In large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add bacon, celery, onion, yellow pepper; cover and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until

softened, about 10 minutes. Add grated corn, milk, 1 cup heavy cream; bring to boil. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, stirring often, until soup is thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne

pepper, keep warm.

In large skillet, heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil until shimmering. Add corn kernels to skillet; cook over moderately high heat, stirring a few times, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Season with salt. Stir cooked corn kernels into soup; keep warm.

To create jalapeño crema, whip remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream to soft peaks in blender, about 20 seconds. Add sour cream, jalapeño, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, and blend until thick. Season with salt and white pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, top with spoonfuls of jalapeño crema and cilantro leaves; serve at once. Serves 6.