Crab and Sweetcorn Chowder
Delicate, sweet crab and juicy, sweeter, buttery sweetcorn complement each other perfectly in this creamy chowder. Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients
- 40g unsalted butter
- 125g/ 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 sticks of celery, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 15g/1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon plain/all-purpose flour
- 500ml shellfish stock (See Recipe Notes)
- 300ml milk
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ - 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 300g new potatoes, chopped into small dice – no need to peel
- 300g sweetcorn kernels – fresh, frozen or tinned
- 200g white crab meat, divided
- 200ml single/pouring cream
Toppings:
- chopped parsley
- white crab
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Finely chop the onion and celery. You can do this by hand or in a food processor.
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Melt the butter in the casserole dish over a moderately hot heat and add the chopped onion and celery. Cook for around 5 minutes until softened and slightly caramelised.
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Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for a further minute.
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Now add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
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Pour in the stock and milk all at once and stir well until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
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Chop the potatoes into small cubes and add with the bay leaf and salt and cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
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Then add the sweetcorn and cook for a further 5 minutes.
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Set a little crab aside to garnish the chowder. Then add the remaining crab and the cream and stir to mix. Ensure everything is piping hot but do not boil it. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
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Serve with chunks of warm fresh bread, in warmed bowls garnished with chopped parsley and the crab you set aside.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- chopping board and knife
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons and cups/jug
- cast iron casserole dish/Dutch oven
- food processor, if required
Shellfish stock:
I made this using shellfish stock I bought at Waitrose. If you want to make the stock, please see here for the recipe. You will need shellfish shells such as from crab, prawns, lobster. Ask your fishmonger, they will often give them to you free of charge.