This is most likely the best gourmet Crab & Corn Bisque you will ever serve. It's rich, it's delicious and it's unbelievably easy to prepare.

Ingredients

1 pt. lump crabmeat
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter (do not substitute margarine)
1-1/2 c. finely chopped sweet onion
4 T. all-purpose flour
6 c. fresh corn kernels (see 'Recipe Note 1' below)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1-1/2 qt. heavy cream
3/4 c. thinly sliced green onions, white & green portions
3-4 additional green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

Preparation

Gently pick through the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell or cartilage, being careful not to break up lumps of crabmeat; set aside. Melt butter in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until translucent (approximately 10 minutes). Whisk in flour, then add corn kernels. Continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper, then stir in heavy cream and lower heat. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally -- do not boil (see 'Recipe Note 2' below). Stir in sliced green onions, then very gently fold in crabmeat, being careful not to break up lumps. Return bisque to a simmer over low heat, cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes; stir once. Additional seasoning may be added, if desired, before serving. Garnish with additional sliced green onions and serve with oyster crackers or French bread. Yields 6 to 8 servings as an entree. Freezes beautifully.

Recipe Notes

(1) An equal amount of thawed frozen corn or drained canned corn may be substituted for fresh corn in this recipe.

(2) Do not allow bisque to come to a hard boil during preparation to prevent cream from separating.

2005 Janice Faulk Duplantis