Corn and crab chowder is a delicious dish that can be made with a variety of ingredients and techniques. Fresh crab and corn are key, while other ingredients like chicken stock, onions, potatoes, and peppers add flavor. Different regions have their own variations, such as using Cajun seasoning or ginger and soy sauce. Techniques like making a roux or whisking can also enhance the dish.
Crabmeat is a delicacy around the world, often starring in dishes as a sweet but savory protein. When a vegetable like corn, which is both sweet and savory, marries crab in a herb-laden stock, the effect can be sumptuous. A variety of crab chowder recipes are available, from those with a slight Asian flavor to others that boast an Americanized Creole bite.
The two main ingredients of corncrab chowder should be fresh, particularly because of the central roles they will play. However, the different mix of other ingredients plays an equally crucial role. The chicken stock, onions, potatoes, celery, and peppers will add more flavor when chopped and diced into the starter soup base.
At the bottom of a deep frying pan coated with vegetable oil, vegetables are cooked until fully cooked. Some, like celebrity chef Rachel Ray, season their vegetables with Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Minced garlic is another possibility. Adding too much, however, could overwhelm the crab and corn.
After a light dusting of flour and a few more minutes of browning time, vegetable or chicken stock is stirred in, occasionally along with milk or cream. The final stock is then simmered for at least five minutes to ensure the potatoes are cooked through. Finally, since they don’t require as much cooking time, you can add lumpy crabmeat and as much corn as you like to finish cooking. This is how crab chowder is made with a New England approach.
Specialized techniques can improve the final result. Instead of sprinkling flour on the vegetables when sautéing, some chefs prepare what’s called a roux in advance — a heated mixture of flour and butter — then slowly pour it into the soup after adding the milk. Whisking is another common technique to give the soup a froth and further marry the flavors.
In Cajun Bay, a corncrab chowder is made with a bay leaf, Cajun and Worcestershire crab boil seasoning. In China, chefs might add ginger, garlic, or soy for the desired balance of sweet and savory, then accent the final product with boiled egg whites. Adding shallots or even hot sauce at the end is another way to give crab chowder the bite it may be missing on its own.
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