Name: Crab and Leek Chowder
Yield: makes 4 cups; serves 2 to 4
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced; 2 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 medium leek, chopped (see Note); 3 cups Crab Stock (page 232) or fish stock; 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Tabasco or other hot sauce, to taste; 3 ounces cooked lump crabmeat, preferably Dungeness, rinsed and drained; 1/4 cup fresh corn kernels, cut off the cob, or frozen, defrosted; 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper; Crispy Shallots (recipe follows; optional); Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 shallot, sliced into 1/4-inch rings; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

NEW ENGLANDERS HAVE THEIR CLAM CHOWDER; here in the Pacific Northwest we also make chowder with fresh local crab. Even better, this soup can be served cold in the summer and warm in the winter months. Don’t let the jalapeño in the recipe scare you; this soup isn’t spicy. Seeded, diced, and sautéed, the jalapeño loses most of its heat and adds a nice undertone to the rich crab and creamy potato.

Cooks' Note

Before chopping the leek, cut off the thick green part (about 3 inches of the green end) and slice the leek in half lengthwise. Rinse between the layers to remove dirt.

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