Puree of Corn and Crab Chowder

I first had this soup when I was living in St. Petersburg, FL back in the mid 90’s at a restaurant called Backfin Blue in Gulfport. I re-created it when I got back to San Francisco and used Dungeness instead of Blue crab, but still prefer blue.

•½ cup each of green pepper, celery, and onion (minced)
•6 ears of fresh sweet corn. Cut from the cobb (Do not use canned or cream corn)
•1 quart low sodium chicken stock
•1 lb of cooked lump crab meat from the body, not claws, picked over
•1 pint heavy cream
•salt and white pepper to taste
•1 tbs fresh thyme; reserve 4 sprigs for garnish for each bowl butter
•butter

Use shallow soup bowls and a ring mold (or an empty can with both top and bottom removed). Place mold in center of bowl and equally divide crab in to 4 bowls, one at a time, pressing firmly so crab stays in one round pile. Place bowls in warm oven (200-225) to warm through the crab. Meanwhile, sauté green pepper, onion and celery in butter for 1 minute. Add corn kernels and 1 cup chicken stock. Cook on med high until chicken stock reduces – around ten minutes. Add more stock if needed. When stock is almost evaporated add heavy whipping cream and reduce until corn mixture is pretty thick. Add salt, white pepper and thyme. Place in food processor and puree in 4 or 5 quick pulses. You want it pretty thick but still resembling a chowder; add more chicken stock to thin, if necessary. Return to pan and warm through once again and check for seasoning; adjust to taste. When back at temperature, carefully ladle corn mixture around the crab. Garnish with sprig of thyme. Serve with tobasco sauce on side. For a variation try grilling corn on BBQ, then cut off cobb.