#50 - Corn and Crab Chowder

Two years ago today, we got married at Dahlgren Chapel and a few hours later had crab chowder to start out the dinner at the Key Bridge Marriott. To honor our two-year anniversary, instead of buying more cake, we decided to try our hands at that crab chowder.

Corn and Crab Chowder

From 30 Minute Meals
The ingredients for this soup are things you'd expect for any chowder - butter, flour, potatoes, onions, celery - and things you'd expect for any crab dish - crab meat, Old Bay, and bay leaves.
After chopping a whole lot, you plop all the vegetables in a pot of oil and butter, and then add the spices and seasoning.
After all the vegetables cook for a few minutes, you add the chicken stock, and then milk, and then the last thing you add is the crab meat and corn.
This was a delicious soup! We normally don't encourage this sort of thing (because she's evil) but Rachael Ray really pulled through tonight.

The soup was rich and creamy and hearty and crabby and, yes, it only took 30 minutes to make.
Try this yourselves on your anniversary or any day.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Tbs Old Bay seasoning
• 3 Tbs flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 qt whole milk
• 3 cups frozen corn kernels
• 8 oz cooked lump crab meat

Preparation

1. In a large, deep pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped potatoes, celery, onion, red bell pepper, and bay leaf to the pot.
3. Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning and saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in the chicken broth and then the milk, and bring the soup up to a bubble.
6. Add the corn and crab meat and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and remove the bay leaf.
8. Serve soup with oyster crackers.