Our next recipe from Chef Xavier is Sweet Corn Soup with Shiitake Crab Cakes. Since we’re all spending more time at home, our Executive Chef is keeping the recipes coming. Here’s a note straight from the Chef on his recipe:

“Hello all, I hope everyone is well and staying warm. Seeing how we are in May and for some reason we can't shake the snow and this cool weather, I figured today would do a recipe that was fitting for this. I am not a big soup fan, but I do appreciate it and when I do come across a soup that I really love and find absolutely delicious, I love to make it and share it when it's yucky out. I just love the warm feeling that the soup gives me! So, let's get to it shall we?”

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Soup:

6 ears of corn, shucked
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. canola oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp. cumin seeds
6 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and white pepper

Crab Cakes:

1/4 cup olive oil
6 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup mayo
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. snipped chives
1/2 lbs. jumbo lump crab meat
3/4 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions:

Making the Corn Soup

Using a thin sharp knife, cut the corn kernels from the cobs and transfer them to a bowl. Working over the bowl to catch the liquid, scrape the corn milk from the cobs with the back of a knife.
In a large soup pot melt the butter in the oil. Add the shallots and cumin seeds and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and cook for 25 minutes.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Pass the soup through a fine sieve, pressing the extract as much pulp as possible. Rinse out the soup pot and return the soup to it. Add the cream and season with salt and white pepper.

Making the Crab Cakes

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the shiitakes and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 min. stir in the stock and cook until evaporated, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to let cool.
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, egg, Dijon mustard, cayenne, and 1 tsp of chives. Fold in cooked shiitakes and crabmeat and then the breadcrumbs. Shape rounded Tbsp of the mixture into 18 small crab cakes and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until firm.
Reheat the soup. Meanwhile, dust the crab cakes with breadcrumbs, tapping off excess. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the crab cakes and cook over moderately high heat until browned and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cakes to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt.
Ladle the soup into a shallow soup plate or bowl and arrange 3 crab cakes on each plate. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp. of chives and serve.

Recommendations from the Chef

“Since I am from Maryland, I love crab and crab cakes. This soup embodies crab meat, corn and mushrooms which all go very well together. This dish can be served in a course meal or as an entree. The sweet corn soup calls for a tart, not to dry white wine, a nice Riesling should be the ticket for this dish. I hope this soup warms your body and heart with this cool weather we are dealing with. Have a wonderful day and happy cooking.”

Look Forward to More Recipes from Our Executive Chef

Since our facility is closed during the COVID-19 crisis, we’re bringing our delicious catering to you! Chef Xavier is sharing some of his favorite recipes that you can enjoy with your families. Check back on our blog for more coming soon!

If you want to go one step further, you can even share your meal on our Facebook page. We’d love to see how these recipes are turning out for you all!