hot chowder

Well, while my posts have been all about cheese the last three days, we’ve been in the middle of a big-time cold spell and we’ve been having soup every single night! Don’t love the overnight freezing temps (poor plants!) but I do love having the perfect excuse to have soup all the time.  Here’s a hearty favorite.

Crab and Poblano Chowder

2 tablespoons unsalted  butter
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon  salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon  ground red (cayenne) pepper
Two 16-ounce packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
2  cups  half-and-half, divided
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes (undrained)
1 cup water
1 cup clam juice
1/4  cup flour
2 large poblano peppers; roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1  1/2 cups milk
1 pound container Phillips pasteurized crab meat

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper; sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn; sauté for 4 minutes. Remove 1  1/2 cups of corn/onion mixture from the pan. Place in a blender with 1  1/2 cups of the half-and-half; process until smooth and set aside.

Add potatoes to the pot; sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, water, and clam juice; bring to a boil. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Reduce heat to medium.

Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half and the flour in a small bowl, until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add reserved corn/onion puree to the pot. Stir in poblano, milk, and crab; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired.

Serves 8