CRAB AND CORN CHOWDER

This rainy, cold weather in Charlotte had me thinking about creating a recipe for Crab and Corn Chowder. Honestly, I just love the sweet flavor from the corn and crab, paired with the spiciness from the jalapeño. This is a fairly easy recipe. It can be finished in about forty-five minutes from prep to plate. Be sure to see below on how you can freeze crab, and even this Crab and Corn Chowder. That’s if there are any leftovers!

Back fin and lump worked perfectly in this recipe!

Still have access to local farmer’s market? Grab a few ears of fresh corn and cut off the cob. If not, my go-to for canned corn is always Green Giant’s White Shoepeg or Steam Crisp Yellow and White.

HOW TO MAKE CRAB AND CORN CHOWDER

Cut the bacon in tiny pieces. Add bacon to a soup pot and cook until browned. As the bacon is browning, gently rinse your crab meat in a mesh strainer. I prefer to use a mesh strainer instead of a colander. Reserve in fridge.

Once browned, remove bacon and allow to drain on paper towels. Reserve at least two to three tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot. Next, add the chopped celery, chopped onion, diced potatoes, diced jalapeno, the thyme springs, and bay leaves. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Add back about one-half of the bacon pieces. Allow all of this to soften and get coated in the bacon fat for about four to five minutes.

Dust everything with the flour. Allow the raw flour to cook off. This will take an additional four to five minutes. Be sure to continually scrape the bottom of the pot so that the flour does not burn.

With the heat turned up, add in the first two cups of chicken broth. The mixture will start to thicken. Add in the remaining cup as needed. You want the mixture to be thin enough for it to simmer. I used almost the entire three cups in mine. Allow everything to simmer until the potatoes have softened. Take note, as to what I mean by soften. The potatoes will still have texture. Do not cook so much that they are mushy and/or falling apart. This should take about 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Hint: I always count my bay leaves before I put them in any recipe and make sure I take that same number out. You do NOT want anyone biting down on a bay leaf! Add in the heavy whipping cream and Old Bay Seasoning.

FINISHING AND SERVING THE CRAB AND CORN CHOWDER

Allow to simmer another 8 to 10 minutes. Taste for additional salt. Reduce heat. Add in the corn. I used a combination of sweet yellow and white shoepeg (links above). Gently fold in the crab meat. Reserve a few pieces of the lump crab to garnish the top of each bowl.

Allow the corn and crab to warm up. Serve the Corn and Crab Chowder in individual bowls garnished with a few pieces of lump crab, bacon pieces, fresh parsley and a dash of Old Bay. You can also garnish with a few fresh, thinly sliced jalapeños. ENJOY!

If you love chowder, you will love my Manhattan Clam Chowder and my New England Clam Chowder! Take an adventure to the Islands with my Conch Chowder.

HOW TO FREEZE CRAB MEAT

Quite often, I am questioned on whether or not, crab can be frozen. The basic answer is, yes. You absolutely can freeze crab meat!

KING AND SNOW CRAB LEGS

Five to six days? No problem! If you should ever want to freeze leftover king or snow crab for a longer period of time, I would recommend vacuum sealing the whole crab legs, instead of removing the meat first. I have had great success vacuum sealing crab, and crab meat for periods of over a year. Also, vacuum sealing will help to maintain its freshness and most of its quality.

CRAB CHOWDER OR SOUP

ABSOLUTELY! In fact not only do I recommend it, I do the same thing myself! Nothing is better than getting out a bowl of good crab soup months after the crabbing season is over, and savoring the fruits of my labors without all the work. Few things are quite as versatile as crab. You may question freezing the potatoes and/or cream. Believe me, the texture may change just slightly, but the flavor will still be amazing. Suggested freezing time for crab chowder or soup should be no longer than three months.

LUMP CRAB MEAT

Yes, of course! It does not matter if you use canned lump crab meat, crab meat from a container, or fresh crab meat. I make crab cakes all the time and freeze them for future use. No reason you can’t!

Make the crab cakes. Let them cool to room temperature. This is important for freezing. You won’t have them sticking together from the heat, and they will hold together. Layer them with wax paper. This works well in those very large zip lock freezer bags, or even in a large cake-size freezer container.

I have frozen both cooked, and uncooked crab cakes. Suggest only a few months to maintain quality and flavor.

LET’S GET SOCIAL!

I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him. He is known as one of the best skate sharpeners in the world!

Our life has changed dramatically in the past few years with the passing of our two goldendoodles, Vegas and Viva. We were lucky enough to have Vegas for five years (totally wish it was longer). Most recently, losing our Viva to a brain tumor in July of 2020. We welcomed our mini goldendoodle 7, almost seven years ago. We just added the amazing Hazel! Of course, I am always posting tons and tons of photos! Be sure to check out my recipe for Pet Bone Broth! This broth is super rich in nutrients and will provide your pet with a multitude of health benefits!

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