Recipe: Blue Crab and Corn Chowder with Sweet Corn Relish (crock pot)

BLUE CRAB AND CORN CHOWDER WITH SWEET CORN RELISH

"Blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay offer a delectable sweet meat unlike any other. From April through November, blue crabs are in season, and they get bigger and meatier as the months go by. As a result, blue crabs tend to peak later in the summer. While this recipe calls for frozen corn kernels, you should feel free to substitute fresh corn - just be sure to add it at the same time you add the crab, so the corn doesn't overcook.

For extra flair, serve soup from a bread bowl made from hollowed-out mini boules. Freeze the hollowed-out bread pieces for making homemade bread crumbs later. Making the corn relish is optional but highly recommended."

4 cups chicken broth, low sodium or homemade
3 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups peeled and diced baking or russet potatoes
1 large onion, diced
1/4 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked through
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour mixed to a paste with 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter
Salt and black pepper
Old Bay Seasoning
Sweet Corn Relish (recipe follows)
Fresh minced chives, for garnish
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve (optional)

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the chicken broth, corn, potatoes, onion, celery, butter, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, thyme, nutmeg, cayenne, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for at least 7 hours and up to 8 hours.

Add the heavy cream, sherry, and crabmeat. Whisk in the flour and butter paste.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Uncover the pot during the last 30 to 45 minutes to allow the soup to thicken a bit, stirring it occasionally.

TO SERVE:
Season with salt, black pepper, and Old Bay to taste. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with a generous dollop of the corn relish and a sprinkling of chives. Drizzle the soup with some quality olive oil for a special presentation.

SWEET CORN RELISH
Makes 3 cups

"This fresh-from-the-garden combination makes an excellent dip for corn chips or a bruschetta topping, so hold onto any leftovers. If you don't have fresh corn, you can substitute canned, drained corn or frozen corn that have been blanched and drained."

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 3 ears)
2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 small tomato, seeded and diced

Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the coron and simmer for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, celery seeds, and black pepper until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, tomato, and corn and mix well. Cover an store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Source: The Southern Slow Cooker by Kendra Bailey Morris