Chesapeake Chowder is my Mid-Atlantic spin on crab & corn chowder. A big bowl of this creamy comfort soup paired with a Montrachet (100% Chardonnay from Burgundy) is sure to please your palate and warm your soul on a cool rainy night.
The minerality of Burgundian Chardonnay’s are a lovely pairing with the briny, crabmeat. I like to pair this dish with a coastal Chardonnay to bring in a touch of salinity and minerality to the pairing. If you want to keep it local, I highly recommend a bottle of Chatham Vineyards “Steel” Chardonnay from Virginia’s Eastern Shore. After all, if it grows together, it generally goes together.
Recommended Producers
- Chatham Vineyards, Machinpongo, Virginia, USA (SRP: $17)
- Schug Chardonnay, Carneros, California (SRP: $24)
- Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet, Burgandy, France (SRP: $80)
Recipe: Chesapeake Chowder
Ingredients
6 strips Smithfield bacon (diced)
1 small yellow onion (fine dice)
4 red potatoes unpeeled (small dice)
2 tbsp. salt (only use 1 tblsp. if you use regular chicken stock)
1 tbsp. pepper
2 tbsp. flour
¼ cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
8 oz bottled clam juice (you can find this in most grocery stores in the seafood section)
8 oz low sodium chicken stock
2 cups half & half
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tbsp. Herbs de Provence
1 16 oz bag frozen white corn (white corn is sweeter)
1 can creamed corn
1 lb lump crabmeat (Chesapeake Bay preferred)
2 tbsp. butter
Directions
- Dice bacon and brown over medium heat in large stock pot (8-10 minutes)
- Remove from pan, set aside.
- Add diced onion and potatoes to bacon fat and cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add salt, pepper and herbs de provence.
- Add 2 tablespoons flour and mix. Add ¼ cup white wine and deglaze pan. Add clam juice, chicken stock and half & half.
- Gently fold in crab meat and corn, then add parsley and butter. Let simmer on low heat for 20 minutes and serve.
