Dungeness Crab, Corn and Potato Chowder

This recipe is inspired by one made by the Blue Mermaid Chowder House and Bar in San Francisco provides a take on a typical dish enjoyed in THE City. This dish -- California Dungeness Crab and Corn Chowder -- was recognized three times in the creative category of the Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-Off.

I did not use the cilantro pesto garnish, but instead used siracha sauce instead for a kick. I also used prosciutto instead of bacon and added it to the top instead of incorporating it. The cilantro pesto garnish is prepared separately. Instructions are included after the main recipe. To serve this dish, place the chowder in a bowl, add 1 to 2 ounces of crab meat and garnish with the pesto (or siracha) and prosciutto.

Ingredients

·  4 ounces Applewood-smoked bacon

·  4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

·  2 cups corn cut from the cob

·  2 yellow onions, diced

·  1 Pasilla chile, diced

·  1 Jalapeño pepper, split in half, seeds removed

·  2 celery stalks

·  2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

·  1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

·  ½ tsp. chipotle powder

·  4 sprigs thyme, stem removed, leaves chopped

·  1 fresh bay leaf

·  1 quart crab or chicken stock

·  2 lbs. Kennebec or Yukon Gold potatoes, ½" diced

·  1 ½ cups heavy cream

·  2 oz. cream cheese

·  ½ teaspoon fresh ground white pepper

·  Kosher salt to taste

·  1 lb. fresh Dungeness crab meat

·  1 bunch cilantro, diced and chopped

·  ½ cup olive oil

Cooking Directions

Chowder

Over low heat, add the smoked bacon (or prosciutto)  to a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot. Slowly render the fat and then increase the heat to medium to make the bacon crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Leave about half the bacon fat in the pan.

Add the butter, and sauté the corn. After 4 to 6 minutes, remove the corn from the pan.

Add the onion and sauté for about 4 to 6 minutes until translucent. Be careful not to brown it.

Add diced chile and sauté an additional 4 minutes, and remove from the pan.

Add celery and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, then add the onion, corn, pasilla and bacon to the celery.

Add Old Bay, Chipotle powder, split Jalapeño pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Just barely cover the vegetables with crab stock and then add the diced potatoes. Increase the heat to high and boil the potatoes for about 4 minutes. The goal is to soften the outside of the potato to help thicken the chowder, while keeping the potato al dente. Add 3/4 cup of crab and stir.

Add the heavy cream and cream cheese. Stir for two minutes and then remove from the heat. If you need to thicken the chowder a little more smash a few of the potatoes against the side of the pot.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and fresh white pepper. Remove the Jalapeño pepper before serving.

To serve put a few pieces of crab in the bottom of the bowl, add the chowder, top with the bacon/pruscuitto, and drizzle the Siracha or Pesto

Cilantro Pesto

1 bunch cilantro, washed, dried and chopped

Approximately ½ cup of olive oil

Purée ingredients in a blender. Serve as a garnish on top of the chowder.

Crab Cakes!

I have loved crab cakes ever since I lived in coastal Beaufort, South Carolina. There, I would put traps out off of my dock, baited with chicken necks and haul in a bushelful whenever I did so. Then I had an outside stove and picnic table. I would boil the crabs and pour them out on newspapers where my kids and I would spend hours picking & cleaning the sweet blue crabs. Today I am at the mercy of the fishmonger or in a pinch I will buy a can of quality lump crab. I made these crab cakes for dinner, but since there were only two of us dining, I made the remaining mixture into appetizer sized cakes and froze them. When I am in need of a quick appetizer I can thaw and sauté them in short order. I served the crab cakes over an arugula salad and with a side of Mango Mustard that my friend Janet gave me a recipe for. I also keep a tub of chipotle mayo (just put 2-3 chipotles in adobo in a food processor with a cup of fresh home made mayo & process till the chiles are totally incorporated) in the refrigerator and often use it or wasabi mayo with crab cakes.

Papaya Mustard

Here is the really simple recipe... go for it!

Ingredients:

1# of good quality lump crab meat, cleaned
Zest from a Meyer Lemon (or Eureka if you can't find a Meyer)
1/8 cup of fresh lemon juice (Meyer is preferred)
2 plump shallots, minced finely
1/4 cup of fresh minced herbs, in this case I used garlic chives, chives, chervil & flat leaf parsley
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Japanese Panko crumbs (I use the honey panko for this, but plain are fine too)
Lots of freshly grated black pepper

Method:
Stir all together and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Form into cakes of any size.. for entree portions I make them about 3" across, for appetizers about 1.5" across. Place the cakes on waxed paper as you are forming them. They can be chilled in the refrigerator or frozen at this point, or cooked immediately.

In a large frying pan, gently melt 2/3 stick of butter. When the butter has melted, add the crab cakes, being careful not to crowd them. Let the cakes sauté  until you see a rim of golden crust forming at the bottom of the cakes. Do not try and turn them until they have formed this crust or they will stick to the bottom and fall apart.

Turn the cakes and allow them to brown on the other side. Remove to a rack to rest for a minute and then serve.