Chef John Howie
Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar
Seattle Seahawks

Crab and Sweet Corn Bisque

This bisque can be made a day in advance. Cool it quickly by transferring it to a large bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water and stirring until cool; cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bring the bisque to a boil over high heat, add the crabmeat, and ladle into bowls. The Madeira-Port reduction can also be made in advance and refrigerated; bring it to room temperature or warm it before serving.

Bisque:
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1/2 cup minced white onion
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry sherry
8 cups half-and-half
2/3 cup fresh sweet corn kernels
1 cup clam juice
1/2 teaspoon dried ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons salt
Madeira-Port Reduction:
1/2 cup Madeira
1/2 cup Tawny Port
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
18 ounces Dungeness crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chives cut on the diagonal into 3/4-inch lengths


Make the Bisque:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and shallot and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden but not browned, about 5 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary to keep the roux from coloring too quickly. Stirring constantly, add the sherry, then the half-and-half. Bring to a simmer, stirring.
As the half-and-half mixture is heating, put the corn and clam juice in a blender and purée until very smooth. When the bisque reaches a simmer, add the corn mixture and return to a simmer. Add the thyme, white pepper, and salt and simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
Make the Madeira-Port Reduction:
In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup, 10 to 12 minutes.
Bring the bisque to a boil, add the crabmeat, then immediately ladle it into 6 soup bowls. Drizzle with a bit of the reduction (you won't use all of it) and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.