Sweet, creamy and oh so satisfying! Sweet corn and Dungeness crab are a perfect pair in this delicious creamy corn and crab chowder.
Sweet and creamy corn and crab chowder
The bright colors of fall the crisp air have me thinking about incorporating homemade soups back into our dinnertime routine. Homemade soup always tastes better and has greater nutritional value. And when you make them yourself, you have the ability to adjust the seasoning or ingredients to suite your taste. I used Dungeness crab in this recipe, but you can use another kind of crab or white fish if you like.
I get inspired from restaurants and apply what I see, taste and smell to cooking at home. I recently had a delicious corn and crab chowder at SkyCity, the restaurant at the top of the Seattle Space Needle. Here are some tips I learned from their chefs in preparing their delicious chowder.
Start with the freshest in-season vegetables, herbs and seasonings.
Don’t forget about the finishing touches. Top with a fresh herb, bacon or dollop of sour cream. It will take your soup from ordinary to extraordinary.
By the way do you know the difference between a chowder and a bisque? Both are creamy thick soups, but a bisque is typically smooth or blended. A chowder also often has potatoes. If you like seafood chowders, also try my Seattle Seafood Bisque recipe.
What I love about this crab and corn chowder recipe is it can easily be varied depending on your mood and tastes. Add a couple diced potatoes if you like chunkier chowder. Or blend small batches of the soup in the food processor before adding the seafood for a smooth texture. If you like more heat, add a little more Old Bay Seasoning or cayenne pepper to the mix. Give it a try and tell me about your creativity in the kitchen in the comments below!
In this recipe, I used a little half and half to add richness and an all-purpose gluten-free flour. It worked great and no one noticed it was gluten-free. If you don’t have half and half, use whole milk in place of all the milk. Fresh sweet corn in season is best, but frozen is better if the corn available isn’t local, fresh or sweet.
Creamy corn and crab chowder
Sweet, creamy and oh so satisfying! Sweet corn and dungeness crab are a perfect pair in this delicious creamy corn and crab chowder.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 ribs of celery (diced)
1 half small red onion (diced)
1 small green bell pepper (diced, no seeds (or red bell pepper))
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
3 tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour mix)
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half (not fat-free)
2 1/2 cups milk (1% or 2% milk)
2 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh from the cob or frozen)
1 lb crab meat
4 to 6 slices bacon (fried crispy and chopped into bits)
handful of fresh parsley
Use a large pot. Turn the heat on to medium-high and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted add the vegetables, bay leaf and stir. Saute the vegetables until they soften and are more translucent (several minutes). Then add the salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning.
Slowly add in the flour. Stir and cook for another couple minutes. Add the broth and combine. Add the half and half and milk, then bring the chowder up to a low boil. You should start to see little bubbles. Add the corn and cook for about five minutes before adding the crab last. Turn the heat to low and simmer a few minutes more.
Garnish each serving of chowder with a little crispy bacon and fresh parsley for garnish.
If you don’t have half and half, use whole milk in place of all the milk.
Fresh sweet corn in season is best, but frozen is better if the corn available isn’t local, fresh or sweet.
Source: northwestspoon.wordpress.com
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