Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons butter
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning blend, found near seafood department, or on spice aisle at the grocery store
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock or broth
1 quart whole milk
3 cups corn kernels, scraped fresh from the cob or frozen kernels
8 ounces cooked lump crab meat – fresh is available in plastic tubs at many fish counters
4 small 6-inch bread boules (round loaves), hollowed out, preferably sourdough (optional)
Toppings:
Oyster crackers
Hot cayenne pepper sauce
Sliced scallions
Directions
Heat a deep pot over moderate heat. Add vegetable oil or EVOO, about one turn of the pan, and butter. As you chop your veggies, add them to the pot: potatoes, celery, onion and red bell pepper. Then add the bay leaf. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Sauté veggies five minutes, then sprinkle in flour. Cook with flour for two minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and combine. Stir in milk and combine. Bring soup up to a bubble. Add corn and crab meat and simmer soup, about five minutes. Adjust the soup seasonings and remove the bay leaf. Ladle soup into bread bowls or soup bowls and top with oyster crackers, hot sauce and sliced scallions.