Crab and Corn Chowder

Crab and Corn Chowder

One of the best things about living on East Coast is the variety of seafood available. August is the best time to have everything Crab, since the Blue Crab are coming out of hibernation and are the sweetest and most tastiest. Can you say YUM YUM?  After eating all the Crab legs, Crab Cakes, and other delicious dishes, it's time to make some Chowder. Here's a great recipe that will knock your socks off.  There is a trick to this soup though, the ingredient "Crab"... which to use? Here are a few hints.

Crab: 

Fresh Blue Crab  - buy it while in season for the best flavor
Local Crab - if you live on the coast, find a local seafood supplier who has fresh Crab during the season, or at least fresh frozen.
Lump Crab - lump is fine is considered "special" crab meat - usually the meat of the back fin and is absolutely fine for soups, or stuffing a piece of fish.
Canned Crab meat - you can surely use canned when Crabs are not in season and you have a hankering for this soup, but please try to use fresh if possible. Can is always the back up for sure, but not preferred by this gourmet cook. 

Let's get started making some amazing Crab and Corn Chowdah

Ingredients: 

1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1 quart seafood stock - homemade if possible (recipe at bottom of this recipe)
1 1/2 pounds Blue Crab Meat
4 cups potato
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 small yellow onion, diced small
1/2 cup dry Sherry
1/2 cup Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Half and Half
2 tsp White Pepper
4 ears of sweet corn, shucked of all corn, reserve on the side, or 2 cans yellow corn. 

Directions: 

In a large stock pot melt 1/2 of the butter over a medium heat. Sauté garlic and onion until for about 3 minutes then add corn and potatoes; continue sautéing for about 3 minutes.

Add additional butter and gently add flour and remaining dried ingredients into stock pot, stirring until the flour is blended into the butter. You now have a basic rue, and can begin making the soup. Very slowly begin to add your seafood stock juices, stirring until everything is blended nicely. Add your shucked corn cornels along with the cobs, and bring the stock to a boil. Once it comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the cogs and discard.

Pull out your food processor or blender and get ready to puree some of what is in the stock pot. The reason why we puree some of the bulky ingredients and stock is to create a more creamy consistency. With a large ladle, grab about 4 helpings and place it into the food processor or blender. Process it until it is completely pureed, no lumps. Pour the puree back into the stock pot and bring the stock back to a full simmer. Cook for additional 15 minutes.

In the meantime, go through your Crab meat one last time for any possible shell pieces or unwanted pieces, like cartilage or Tomalley (that green stuff). Once you've gone through your meat, begin adding it to the pot, slowly. Just before taking the chowder off the stove add your half and half, Whipping Cream, and Dry Sherry. Stir completely and do a taste test. If the soup isn't spicy enough for you, add a pinch more cayenne if you so desire.

This type of chowder needs to be eaten almost immediately, however, it will last up to a maximum of 3 days in the fridge, and it doesn't freeze well at all, so eat it all. 

 
Homemade Seafood Stock: 

Best way to make this type of stock is to use the shells from your Crabs, along with 6 large clams, meat left in the shells, along with a cheap piece of boiling fish - Cod or whatever is on sale. Place all the shells, fish pieces into a pot with 6 quarts of water. Boil for about 15 full minutes, turn the heat down to medium and add the following ingredients, the boil until there is no more foaming and the top clears a bit.
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced or chopped
1 carrot, roughly sliced or chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly sliced or chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
Several sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
10-15 whole peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves Garlic, minced
You're going to need to drain the stock of all large and small pieces of shell and your other ingredients. You only want the stock. You should have reduced that 6 cups into about 4 1/2. Freeze the remaining for another day of Chowdah making. 2 Hints, 1) leave headroom in your container for the stock to expand in the freezer. 2) Be sure to label your container, you don't want seafood stock in your chicken soup instead of chicken stock.