Summertime Corn & Crab

This dish tastes like summer. The corn is sweet, the crab is fresh, and the creamy corn sauce brings everything together. You can serve it cold as a soup, or use it as the base for the crab salad!

INGREDIENTS

CORN CREAM

Fresh corn with husks on (about 4 ears) — 600 g (4 ears)

White onion, sliced — 100 g (about ¾ cup)

Leeks, sliced — 100 g (about 1 cup)

Avocado oil — 30 g (2 tablespoons)

Heavy cream — 120 g (½ cup)

Corn stock — 500 g (2 cups)

Calabrian chili — 10 g (1 tablespoon)

Salt — 8 g (1½ teaspoons)

Black pepper — 2 g (½ teaspoon)

CRAB CORN SALAD:

Lump crab meat — 340 g (about 2 cups)

Charred corn — 300 g (about 2 cups)

Fresh tarragon — 10 g (¼ cup leaves)

Fresh chives, chopped — 15 g (¼ cup)

Lemon — 1 whole lemon

Lime — 1 whole lime

Avocado oil — 15 g (1 tablespoon)

Calabrian chili — 5 g (1 teaspoon)

Old Bay seasoning — 5 g (1 teaspoon)

CRAB BRINE:

Ice water — 250 g (1 cup)

Salt — 5 g (1 teaspoon)

Sugar — 5 g (1 teaspoon)

POPCORN:

Popcorn kernels — 60 g (⅓ cup)

Avocado oil — 15 g (1 tablespoon)

Old Bay — 3 g (½ teaspoon)

PROCESS

1. MAKE THE CORN STOCK

Remove the husks from the corn.

Save the husks and the corn cobs.

Toast the corn husks in a dry pan until they smell sweet and roasted.

Place the toasted husks and corn scraps into water.

Let it steep like tea for 2 hours.

Strain the liquid. This is your corn stock.

2. MAKE THE CORN CREAM

Cut all the corn kernels off the cob.

Split the corn into two equal parts.

For the charred corn:

Heat a sauté pan until very hot.

Add half the corn with avocado oil.

Cook until the corn gets nice brown color.

Remove and cool.

For the corn cream:

Add avocado oil to a pot.

Add leeks, onions, and salt.

Cook slowly until soft. Do not add color.

Add the other half of the corn.

Add corn stock halfway up the corn.

Cook until most of the liquid reduces.

Blend until smooth.

Slowly add cream and a touch of avocado oil while blending.

Season with salt, pepper, and Calabrian chili.

Chill if serving cold.

3. PREPARE THE CRAB

Mix ice water, salt, and sugar.

Add crab meat.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Strain well.

This gives the crab a better salty, sweet, ocean flavor.

4. MAKE THE CRAB CORN SALAD

Add together:

Brined crab

Charred corn

Torn tarragon

Chopped chives

Calabrian chili

Old Bay

Add:

Lemon zest

Lime zest

Lemon juice

Lime juice

Avocado oil

Mix gently.

5. MAKE THE POPCORN

Heat oil in a pot.

Add popcorn kernels.

Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.

Cook until popping slows down.

Season with Old Bay.

(You can also microwave popcorn in a safe bowl or paper bag.)

PLATING

Spoon the chilled corn cream into a bowl.

Place the crab and charred corn salad on top.

Finish with herbs and serve with Old Bay popcorn.