Corn Soup

A camp-kitchen corn soup built on evaporated milk, thickened at the last moment with the same milk whipped. The method is simple; the only real technique is the whipping.

• Butter "size of a walnut"An old rule-of-thumb measure, given variously in period sources as roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Quantities not statedThe amounts of corn and of milk for the double boiler are not given in the text as printed, so the proportions have to be judged. A pint of milk to two cups of corn gives a soup of about the right body for the 3/4 cup of whipped milk to matter.
• Whipping evaporated milkIt only whips if it is very cold. Chill the can, the bowl and the beaters until ice crystals just begin to form at the edges of the milk, then beat hard. The foam is unstable and collapses within minutes, which is why the recipe says to fold it in at the last moment.
• Evaporated, not condensedEvaporated milk is unsweetened concentrated milk. Sweetened condensed milk is not a substitute here and will ruin the soup. If you use cream instead, heavy cream at 36% fat or above whips reliably.
• Why a double boilerMilk scorches on a direct flame and corn starch settles and sticks. Over water the contents cannot exceed the temperature of the boiling water beneath, so the soup will not catch. On a camp fire, a pot set inside a larger pot of simmering water does the same job.
• Do not boil after the cream goes inOnce the whipped milk is stirred through, the soup is served. Returning it to heat drives the air out of the foam.
• The cornCanned cream-style corn gives a thick, sweet result. Fresh corn scraped from the cob -- cut the tips, then scrape the cob with the back of the knife for the milky pulp -- is better, and needs a few minutes in the hot milk to lose its raw taste.