Grilled Corn and Crab Chowder
During the summer, my mind drifts back to the weathered crab shacks of the Eastern Shore, where we looked out over the bay with our feet in the water, waiting for our name to be called for dinner. Born and raised in the state of Maryland, I know a thing or two about local East Coast seafood. Start this recipe by grilling the corn on the cob. This chowder comes alive with roasted chiles and a splash of fresh lime juice, swimming with chunks of sweet lump crab meat.
Ingredients
- 6 ears of fresh white corn, grilled on the cob
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, diced small (2 cups)
- 1 cup celery, about 4 medium stalks, diced small
- 1 cup fennel bulb, diced small
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into
- ½- inch chunks
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 4 roasted poblano green chiles, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
- 2 cups fresh lump crab meat
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 limes, for juice
Instructions
- In a 4-quart heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter with olive oil and sauté the onions, celery and fennel with 1 teaspoon of salt for about 10 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.
- While those are cooking, cut the kernels away from the grilled corn cobs and set aside.
- Once the onions, celery and fennel have browned, add garlic and white wine and cook for a minute more. Add diced potatoes, broth and water to the pot, with a pinch of salt, followed by the ground spices. Maintain a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are just cooked through.
- Add the corn to the pot and cook for 5 minutes more, then add the chopped roasted chiles.
- If you like a creamy, thick base for your chowder without adding cream, you can use a handheld immersion blender or a blender to purée one-third of the soup at this point. After blending, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt as needed and a few grinds of black pepper. Gently stir in the fresh crab meat and chopped cilantro, and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving.
Notes
CHEF NOTES Green chiles always taste better if you roast them first, blackening them either over a grill, a gas stove or under a broiler, to remove the tough outer skin. After charring, place the peppers in a bowl, cover and allow them to steam and cool for about 15 minutes before scraping off the blackened skin and removing the seeds.
