Crab Corn Chowder

It’s finally time for Crab Corn Chowder. While it’s still been gorgeous in Philly and much of me has been living the life of a fall denialist, this past Friday I took my parents out to Terrain for some fall gardening and pumpkin picking. Let’s just say that it inspired me to remember some of the reasons I love fall. And it eased my bitterness at Summer’s end just enough to encourage a little soup making. I make two styles of chowder, and I switch back and forth between the two constantly. My Skinny Clam Chowder uses potatoes as a thickener while this Crab Corn Chowder recipe uses flour. Of course the techniques are interchangeable, sometimes I use the potato method with Crab and the flour method with clams, it doesn’t matter, but it’s great to know both, because they both have their virtues. This Crab Corn Chowder is great because it’s filling and hearty but light and surprisingly low fat and calorie given its rich taste. I love Crab Corn Chowder for a welcome to fall dinner, complete with apple cocktails, rosemary rolls and Apple Cranberry Pie.

2 cups celery; diced
2 cups onions; diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons dry parsley or 2 tablespoons fresh
1 bayleaf
4 cloves minced garlic
1 red pepper; diced
1 cup white wine
¼ cup flour
1 quart stock (I like the richness of chicken in this, but clam, lobster, shrimp all work well)
1 cup milk
½ cup sour cream
salt to taste depending on your stock
1 ½ tablespoons old bay seasoning
1 can green chilis (I like the fire roasted ones)
1 pound frozen corn (sometime I use fire roasted corn for a smokey effect)
1 pound crab (in the can in the refrigerator section is fine- claw meat preferred)

Add oil and butter to a large pot. Add the celery, onions, old bay seasoning and bayleaf and cook on medium low until translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for a minute or two more. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the parsley and flour and cook until the veggie roux begins to color. Add 1 cup of the stock and whisk into the flour mix. Add in the stock gradually and bring to a boil. Adjust the seasoning. Add the frozen corn and lower the heat. Add the crab, milk, sour cream and green chilis. Now that the dairy and crab is in the soup, you don’t want it to boil again. Taste one more time and adjust the seasoning.Serve with warm rolls and a nice beer.