Chrissys Crab Chowder Recipes

CRAB CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute the mushrooms, celery and onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. , Add the crab, broth, potatoes, corn, salt, dill and pepper. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through. Stir in sherry.

CREAMY CRAB CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat bacon grease and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, and parsley until onion is browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and pour in stock. Slowly stir in cream, salt, seasoned salt, pepper, chili powder, dill, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Add crab and simmer until flavors combine, about 15 minutes.
• Mix flour with water in a small bowl and pour into the soup. Stir to thicken slightly. Add sherry just before serving.

CRAB CHOWDER

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, celery, thyme, salt, and pepper in hot butter until onion and celery start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir potatoes, milk, broth, cream, and clam juice into onion mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.
• Pour broth mixture into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot and stir in crabmeat. Cook until soup is hot and crab is heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

CRAB AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add flour; cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Gradually add milk; cook and stir until thickened. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 35-40 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

CRAB CHOWDER

Steps:

• Chop bacon and in a 2-quart heavy saucepan cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp.
• Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in pan.
• While bacon is cooking, cut onion into 1/4-inch dice.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• Stir onion, potatoes, and water into bacon fat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender and most of water is evaporated, about 15 minutes.
• While mixture is simmering, pick over crab meat, removing any bits of shell and cartilage.
• Stir milk and cayenne into mixture and return just to a simmer.
• Add crab and salt and pepper to taste and bring chowder to a simmer.
• Serve chowder garnished with parsley and bacon.

SHAKER FRESH CRANBERRY BEAN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Shuck the beans and discard any that are soft or blemished. You should have about 3 cups.
• Heat a 3 to 4-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp and golden brown.
• Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onion, thyme, and bay leaf and saute, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 8 minutes, until the onion is tender but not browned.
• Add the beans and stock. Partially cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook the beans at a steady simmer over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are tender. Reduce the heat to low.
• Remove 2 cups of the chowder from the pot and puree in a food mill held over the pot so it falls directly back into the chowder, or puree in a food processor and return to the chowder. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the molasses, and let the chowder simmer slowly for another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.
• When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick. Ladle the chowder into cups and sprinkle with the slice scallions.
• Variation Dried Bean Chowder:
• Substitute 8 ounces dried shell beans, limas, or other white bean for the fresh shell beans. Soak them overnight in enough water to cover generously; drain. Depending on the bean you choose, the cooking time may be doubled or even longer. Follow the recipe and simmer until the beans are tender, adding water as necessary (about 1 cup) to compensate for the evaporation during the longer cooking time.
• Variation Cider and Bean Chowder:
• This idea also comes from the Shakers, who used sweet apple cider as the liquid in several of their soups. It adds a new dimension to the sweet-and-sour flavor of this chowder. Cider is pressed from late August through November, so you can try this in either the fresh or dried bean versions. Substitute 3 cups apple cider for 3 cups of the chicken stock (you will still use 2 cups of chicken stock).

CORN AND CRAB CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat a deep pot over moderate heat. Add oil and butter. As you chop your veggies, add them to the pot: potatoes, celery, onion, and red bell pepper. Add bay leaf to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Saute veggies 5 minutes, then sprinkle in flour. Cook flour 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and combine. Stir in milk and combine. Bring soup up to a bubble. Add corn and crab meat and simmer soup 5 minutes. Adjust the soup seasonings. Remove bay leaf. Ladle soup into bread bowls or soup bowls and top with oyster crackers, hot sauce and sliced scallions.