Saute your veggies long enough to get some good carmalization, it really brings out the sweetness in the soup.
A wonderful use for the sweet corn that comes with the end of the summer. This is a terrific soup to kick off the transition into Fall. I found a recipe from Emeril Lagasse on-line and made a few changes. He called it a Bisque, but I consider it a chowder, I think of a bisque as being smooth. The roux creates the perfect consistancy. I also used a greater amount of corn. My version is displayed below.
INGREDIENTS:
1 T Olive oil
1 T Butter
1/2 C minced yellow onion
1 Small shallot, minced about 1/4 C
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C minced celery, 2 ribs
6 ears of fresh corn, cut from the cob
1 tsp. Salt & Pepper
1/2 tsp. Adobo all purpose seasoning
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
32 oz. Chicken stock
3 Bay leaves
2 C Whole milk
1 3/4 C Heavy cream
3 T blonde roux, see below
1 Pound Jumbo lump crab, picked over to remove any shell
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Additional Salt & Pepper if needed, I did
3 T Blond Roux: 3 T butter & 3 T flour, heat butter in a small skillet and melt over medium heat. Add flour and stir occasionally until golden and flour is incorporated, you want to loose that raw flour taste.
PREPARATION:
Cut all your veggies and have ingredients measured and ready to go and this soup will come together very quickly. In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Add the onion, shallot, garlic, corn and celery to the pot. Season with S & P, cayenne and Adobo. Saute all the vegetables about 10 minutes until they begin to get some color, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, melt the 3 T butter and add the flour and cook over medium low heat approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside until needed later.
Once the vegetables have taken on a slightly golden color, add the stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer 10 minutes. While the soup is simmering, pick through the crab to remove any shell and set aside. After 10 minutes, of simmering, add the cream and milk, return to a heavy simmer and whisk in roux a little at a time until the soup thickens. I used all the roux and it reached the perfect consistency. Add the crab and the worcestershire. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. I did add a little more S & P. Remove Bay leaves prior to serving.
Makes approximately 2 1/2 Quarts.
This was all that was left after a night of football, not a very glamorous shot, and not a garnish in sight, but I was lucky to get a shot of the finished product at all.
