Blue Crab and Corn Soup
Ingredients to make a roux:
cup all purpose flour
cup canola oil
stick salted butter
Combine the above ingredients in a 12 inch frying pan over medium heat.
Then continuously whisk the mixture until it turns a shiny medium brown.
Whatever you do, though, do not let it burn!If necessary, add more flour to the pan as needed to stiffen up the mix.
Viola!You just made the roux!
Now push it off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes to cool down.
The Rest of the Ingredients:
8 ears fresh corn (Do not use canned or frozen corn)
1 medium-large onion, finely diced
1 small green bell pepper, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 rib celery, finely diced
cup Canola oil
1 box low sodium chicken stock (32 ounces)
1 can stewed tomatoes, 16 ounce size
2 containers fresh crab claw meat (1 pound each)
1 teaspoon granulated crab boil or 1 capful liquid crabboil
2 to 3 tablespoons Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning, as desired to taste
1/2 teaspoon Frank Davis Garlic Hot Sauce.
1/4 cup Half-N-Half
How to put the soup together:
Begin by meticulously picking through the crabmeat and removing all the shell pieces.
Then, using a sharp knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob. . .but don't discard the cobs just yet!
To get this soup to turn out rich and creamy, go back and scrape each corncob with a tablespoon to extract the residual "corn milk."<>
Then set both the kernels and the "milk" aside for a while in a bowl.
You start the cooking process by placing a 4-quart non-stick or anodized Dutch oven on the stovetop and sauting the onion, bell pepper, garlic, celery, and parsley in the canola oil.
Then when the vegetable mixture is fully wilted and softened, pour in the chicken stock and stir in the stewed tomatoes and the corn. Now bring the contents of the pan up to a "slow bubble."
It's at this point that you whisk in the roux and let the soup slightly thicken over a low fire (this should take only about 15 to 20 minutes).
Incidentally, I recommend that you occasionally stir the pot as the roux incorporates to keep it from settling to the bottom and scorching.
Then when the soup reaches the consistency you like, drop in the crab meat, the granulated or liquid crab boil, the seafood seasoning, and the hot sauce.
Then, with the fire still on low, cover the pot and simmer the soup gently for another 20 minutes or so.
Finally, right when you're ready to eat, quickly stir in the Half-N-Half to bring all the flavors together.The rest is pure dining pleasure!
Chef's Notes: Be careful not to over-season the soup. The best way to do this is to taste the cooking mixture before adding the second or third teaspoon of seafood seasoning. Serve the soup piping hot in deep bowls with a side of either buttered crackers or hot French bread.
