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cheesy crab and corn chowder

For an easier preparation, you can skip the cauliflower and fennel, and use all potatoes and carrots, or add more corn and leave out the broccoli. Likewise, the leeks might be omitted and the onion increased. Do pass the hot sauce at the table and don’t forget the oyster crackers!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chowder
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon each: salted butter and olive oil
  • 2 small leeks, white/green parts only, thinly sliced
  • 1 each: medium yellow onion and fennel bulb, diced
  • 2 each: peeled medium carrots and celery stalks sliced into ¼-inch pieces
  • Garlic clove, minced
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 ½ cups parsley, minced--divided 1 cup for cooking the chowder and ½ cup garnish
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 (8- ounce) bottles clam juice
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (32 ounces)
  • 1 cup each: diced unpeeled red potatoes, ¼-inch sliced cauliflower florets, 1/2-1-inch broccoli florets
  • 4 cups milk
  • ¼ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 (6-ounce) cans lump crab meat (or 12 oz from fresh seafood case)
  • Hot sauce
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced--garnish
  • 1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar--garnish
  • Oyster crackers for serving

Instructions

  • In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil for a minute; add the leeks, onions, fennel, carrots, and celery. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly; add garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle with a teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper along with one cup of parsley, the thyme, dill, and bay leaf; stir well. Pour in the wine and let simmer until reduced by half. Pour in clam juice, and broth; raise heat to boiling. Add potatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli and cook for about 12 minutes or until tender.  Reduce heat a bit.
  • Whisk the flour into the milk and pour into the pot along with the corn and crab. Shake in a few drops of hot sauce. Cook, stirring, until bubbly and thickening. If it’s not thick enough, mash the chowder a little with a potato masher. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot garnished with scallions, reserved parsley, and grated Cheddar. Pass the hot sauce and oyster crackers at the table. Whoever gets the bay leaf does the dishes.

Notes

Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2019. All rights reserved.