Earlier this month, July 4th weekend to be exact, I took part in a friendly food competition out at the Bay community where my in-laws own a cottage. While I wouldn’t think of crab soup as a go-to item on a hot summer weekend, it was one of the community member’s birthdays and that’s what he wanted. I think there were 6-8 different entries. I figured many would go hot, so I went cold and bold with some spice. How’d I do? I didn’t even end up in the top three! There were multiple reasons this happened.
First, I went non-traditional. It wasn’t even really a crab soup, to be honest. Instead, I made a watermelon & tomato gazpacho with a little crab salad topper (strike 1). Second, one of the judges was a young child, with let’s just say a very particular palate. My soup was spicy, so I upped her portion with some diced watermelon to win her over. However, this very discerning judge didn’t like watermelon either (strikes 2 & 3). Yet, the wild card that no one seemed to consider was the mad methodology of the competition's big winner.
What do I mean by wild card? Well, Norma never strictly follows a recipe. She likes to wing it. Like, the recipe she found called for bay leaf but she didn’t have any. So, go out to the store and get some, right? Nope. She swapped in Old Bay, which is nowhere even near the same flavor profile, but makes sense with crab. She used corn in her soup, much like a chowder, which was also completely sensible. However, that corn was cooked the night before and was unceremoniously dumped into the same bowl as the salad from the prior night’s dinner as well (dressing and all) and sat in the fridge for about 18 hours. So…that’s what I mean by wild card.
Was I surprised she won? No; it was really tasty! I’ve eaten her food many times (as she is my mother-in-law). But, was I surprised as to how she got to the end result? Absolutely. It was the first time I actually witnessed her in action in the kitchen and how she developed a meal. She approached it in the same manner my mother would cook dinners in my childhood. Find what you have and make it work. It’s easy to cook a good meal, following someone else’s researched and tested recipe. But, the sign of a strong cook is one who can improvise and turn out a delicious meal. So, without further ado, here are 2 crab soup recipes; Crab Soup Champion Norma Lesser’s, as well as my 4th place offering, lol.
Governors Run Crab Soup from Norma Lesser
1 onion chopped
2 tbsps butter
2 boxes of vegetable broth
1 pound carrots, cleaned and cut into one inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes cleaned
Old Bay seasoning
3 cooked ears of corn
1/2 pound Maryland crab meat
Chives
Sauté onion in 1 tsp of butter, for about 2 minutes, in a large pot. Add in the broth, carrots, potatoes and Old Bay, to taste.
Bring to a boil, then simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Then, remove about half of the potatoes and reserve.
Transfer the pot contents to a blender and process until thick. Do not over mix. Pour mixture back in pot, add more Old Bay, salt or pepper, if needed.
Remove corn from cob and add to the pot along with the reserved potatoes and remaining tablespoon of butter. Return to a simmer.
Add the crab to the simmering soup and just heat through and ensure the butter is melted. Taste for any final seasoning needs.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream, yogurt or crème fraîche, if desired and some minced chives.
Watermelon Gazpacho with Crab-Avocado Salad
Poblano chili
4 cups watermelon, rough chop (+ more for garnish)
Garlic clove, peeled and smashed
2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup buttermilk
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb lump crab meat
2 avocados, finely diced
Jalapeno, seeded and minced
Cilantro
Blacken the poblano, either directly over gas flame, on the grill, or under the broiler. Let cool slightly then remove the charred skin. Slice, seed, and chop.
Meanwhile add your watermelon, garlic and tomatoes to a blender, adding in the chopped poblano. Process until smooth. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Stir in the vinegar along with a pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate until cold, and the flavors have melded, 8-24 hours.
About 10 minute prior to serving, whisk together the lemon juice, buttermilk and evoo, until emulsified. Stir in the crab meat, avocado and jalapeno and marinate together.
Meanwhile, mince some watermelon and place in the freezer.
To serve, portion out some gazpacho and top with the crab salad (using a slotted spoon) and some minced cilantro.
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