CRAB AND CORN CHOWDER

6 tbsps. butter
4=l/2 cups chopped onions
3 t sps. chopped garlic
6-3/4 cups fresh corn kernels
2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
2/3 cup chopped fesh basil
l/3 cup chopped fesh parsley
l-l/2 tbsps., chopped fresh oregano or l-l/2 tsp. dried
l-l/2 tbsps. dried thyme
l-l/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
3/4 tsps. crumbled bay leaves
l/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
6-l/2 cups or more bottled clam juice
2-l/4 cups whipping cream
3 cups crabmeat or l-l/4 lbs. fresh crabmeat
l-l/2 tbspsl butter, room temp.
l-l/2 tbsps. flour
Melt 6 tbsps. butter in heave large pot over med-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 8 mins. Add tomatoes, basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, Old Bay, bay leaves & cayenne pepper. Stir 2 mins. Puree remaining 2-l/4 cups corn with 3 cups clam juice in blender; add mixture to pot. Add 3-l/2 cups clam juice and cream. Simmer until corn is very tender about 20 mins. (Can be prepared 8 hrs. ahead. Cool l hr. then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Stir crabmeat into soup. Mix l-l/2 tbsps. butter and flour in small bowl and form paste. Drop paste by spoonf uls into chowder, stirring until incorporated. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about 5 mins. Season to taste with s.
&p
Serves 8/ Bon Appetit August l996