I have this fantasy.
I’m sitting on the deck at one of those white washed seaside restaurants, overlooking the beach. The hiss of the surf and the crash of the waves will be the music to my dinning experience. My boys, worn out after a day of racing up and down the beach, sit and chatter quietly to each other. Their conversation is punctuated by the occasional delighted giggle as they remember a fish or a shell seen earlier on the beach. I am wearing a beautiful white sun dress, something like Angelina Jolie in the beginning of Mr. And Mrs. Smith. For that matter I’m as skinny as Angelina too. I sip a chilled glass of crisp white wine. Little beads of condensation run down my glass in rivulets. My husband and I just smile at each other, not talking, just savoring the peace.
The waiter sets down a steaming bowl of corn and crab chowder. The aroma of succulent crab drifts in front of me before disappearing into the cool breeze that blows off the water. The soup is golden, little pieces of crisp bacon are scattered across the surface. I lift my spoon, already anticipating the mountains of fresh seafood I intend to eat…
Insert that screechy noise they use in movies when a daydream is rudely interrupted and it’s like nuh-uh no way, back to cold cruel reality now.
I’m in my kitchen this morning (in COLORADO),in my pajamas, prepping for this soup. I’m dutifully cracking crab legs making sure that I remove every last scrap of meat (crab legs are super expensive here, we’re a landlocked state people!) Meanwhile, I’m also burning the bacon to cinders… I could go on but I think you get where I’m going. :::sigh:::
I’m going to buy another pound of bacon this afternoon and star over. At least tonight at dinner I get to go back to my beach.
PrintCorn and Crab Chowder
Ingredients
- 3 Cups of water
- 4 Crab leg clusters, aprox 2 lbs.
- 1 lb. Uncooked bacon, diced
- 1 Onion, diced
- 3 Clove garlic, minced
- 5 Medium potatoes, pealed and cubed
- 3 Cups chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- 16 oz corn kernels
- 2 Can of creamed corn
- A dash of Worcestershire
- 2 Cups Cream
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stockpot bring 3 cups of water to boil (enough to cover the crab legs). Reduce the heat to medium high. Add the crab legs to the water and boil gently until crab legs are cooked, 8-10 minutes. If your crab legs were previously cooked and frozen (often found this way at the grocery store) 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the crab legs from the water, rinse with cold water and set aside. Reserve water the legs were cooked in.
- Heat the now empty stock pot to a medium high heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until browned and crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside.
- Drain all but about a tablespoon of the bacon drippings. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and cubed potatoes to the drippings and saute until the onions are translucent. The potatoes will brown slightly. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
- Return the reserved cooking water from the crab legs to the pot, add chicken stock, red pepper and coriander. Bring to a boil, then bring the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, crack the crab legs and remove all meat, set aside. The shells may be discarded.
- In a food processor puree 8 oz of the corn. Add to the stock pot. Add the 8oz of corn that has not been pureed as well. Add the cream. Mix well and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the bacon and crab meat, add salt and pepper to taste, simmer an additional five minutes, serve immediately.
Notes
- More crab can in no way hurt this dish. Add as much as you like!
Garlic Cheddar Loaves
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast
- 3 cups of warm water
- 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt
- 9 1/2 cups of flour
- 1 Teaspoon of garlic powder
- 2 Cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Splash of canola or olive oil
Instructions
- In a large stand mixer bowl add the yeast and warm water. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes as the yeast gets foamy.
- Add the salt, 6 1/2 cups of flour, garlic powder, and cheese. Mix well using dough hook.
- Oil a large bowl with the canola or olive oil to proof the dough in. Using a rubber spatula move the dough to the oiled bowl. Dough will be pretty sticky.
- Turn oven on the 350* allow to heat for 5 minutes and turn the oven off. Place the bowl in the oven loosely covered with a damp kitchen towel. Leave the oven door ajar. Dough will double in size or more.
- Allow the dough to rise for two hours.
- Lightly grease a baking tray
- Remove the dough from the oven, cheese will have melted into the dough. Right in the proofing bowl add the last 3 cups of flour. Using your hands mix the flour in, and gently kneed the dough. The dough will be ready when all the flour has been incorporated and is no longer sticky.
- Form four round loves. Place on the baking tray and allow to rise an additional 20 minutes. Dough will not expand substantially.
- Bake at 450* for 15-25min. Longer time will create a crispier crust.
Leave a Reply