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Crab Buttermilk Bisque with Sweet Corn and Bacon
PAIR WITH
Gruyère Cheese Choux Pastry Puffs
(PAGE 166)
Seamus Foran, chef of Acadia Bistro in Portland, Oregon, shared this recipe for his intensely corn-flavored soup with me after I raved about it one late-summer evening. The chef’s secret for intense corn flavor is to make a quick broth using the cobs. He garnishes the soup with lump crabmeat and crisp bacon, but for a nice vegetarian alternative, you can substitute wild mushrooms, thinly sliced and sautéed in butter until browned and crisp
.
The sweetness of the corn in this elegant soup pairs beautifully with the saltiness of the Gruyère in the pastry puffs on
page 166
.
SERVES
4 TO 6
ACTIVE TIME
20
MINUTES
TOTAL TIME
50
MINUTES
6 medium ears fresh corn, shucked
8 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
Sea salt
1
/
4
tsp caye
1 cup [240 ml] buttermilk, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz [230 g] lump crabmeat, picked over
4 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
18 small baby spinach leaves
1.
Shave the corn kernels from the cobs by holding a cob upright on the cutting board with the tapered end down.
Starting halfway down the cob, use a sharp chef’s knife to saw the kernels off the cob without cutting into the cob itself.
Flip the cob over so the opposite end is down and shave off the remaining kernels.
Repeat with the remaining ears of corn.
Set the kernels aside and reserve the cobs.
Run the dull (top) side of the chef’s knife over the cobs over a plate to catch as much of the remaining juice and pulp from the cobs as possible.
2.
Transfer the juice and pulp to a large soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the cobs (snap or cut in half so they fit in the pot), 6 cups [1.4 L] cold water, the peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard the solids.
3.
Return the pot to medium heat, and melt the butter.
Add the corn kernels, onion, 1 tsp salt, and caye
Add the strained corn broth and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
4.
Purée the soup in the pot with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender with the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape.
Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve and return it to the pot.
Add the buttermilk, season with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat until just warmed through.
Do not boil the soup or it may curdle.
Divide the soup among individual bowls.
Top each serving with crab, bacon, and a few of the spinach leaves.
GET AHEAD:
The soup, without the garnishes, can be cooled and stored in airtight containers or zip-top plastic freezer bags in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat over low heat until hot. If the soup separates, blend it in the pot with an immersion blender or in a blender with the lid slightly ajar.