COMFORT ZONE CRAB CHOWDER

Comfort Zone Crab Chowder image

Whether you're at a fancy restaurant, deli or bistro it's great to start a meal with comforting bowl of chowder or soup. While you are enjoying your first course, the soup or chowder is so good that you savor every spoon full with the intention of seeking out all the flavors you can identify, so you can create this chowder at...

Provided by Carol White

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c flour
3 c chicken broth, low fat
5 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 c half and half (fat free)
1 tsp creole seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp old bay seasoning
2 c frozen corn (thawed)
1/2 red bell pepper (dice)
16 oz fresh lump crabmeat

Steps:

1. Making the Roux Cook time about 3 - 5 minutes In a medium sauce pan, add olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted and combined with the olive oil, sprinkle in the flour. Cook over gentle / low heat, stirring constantly with wood spoon, for about 2 minutes. (Your roux should be light yellow color, do not let it get dark.) Remove from heat and gradually stir in room temperature half & half, adding a little at a time and stirring constantly until the cream is incorporated before adding more. When all the milk has been added, return to the heat and cook, stirring until thick and smooth. Then add creole seasonings, cayenne pepper, and old bay seasoning. (See special note about making Roux's) (Set aside for next step).
2. let's get down to the chowder In a 3 - 5 quart soup pot, add chicken broth, garlic and onions and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add your roux, blend all ingredients well. Now add corn and bell peppers. Season to taste with salt and pepper, let simmer for another 3 - 5 minutes.
3. Add the crabmeat to that chowder ! Add crabmeat and be careful not to break up the lumps. Let simmer 3 -5 minutes then serve in soup bowls and garnish with fresh chives. For extra comfort - serve chowder with French bread, crackers or parmesan cheese toast. My Comfort Zone Chowder has crowd pleasing possibilities. Enjoy
4. Special Note about Roux's Roux is a cooked mixture of flour and fat, traditionally clarified butter. It is the thickening agent of three of the mother sauces of classical French cooking: sauce béchamel, sauce velouté and sauce espagnole. Butter, vegetable oils, or lard are commonly used fats. It is used as a thickener for gravy, other sauces, soups and stews. It is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight.