Active preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Makes: 3 quarts
Crab Salad
2 oz (57 g) crab meat, cooked
1 Tbs shallot, minced
4 cherry tomatoes, sliced in discs
1 Tbs fresh basil leaf, chopped
1 pinch cracked black pepper
1 pinch salt
Juice of half a lime
1 Tbs (½ fl oz/15 ml) olive oil
Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until needed.
Grilled Corn & Beer Soup
12 ears fresh corn
½ cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) olive oil, divided
½ pound (227 grams) smoked bacon, diced
2 cup onion, diced
1 jalapeño, roughly chopped
¼ cup garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 cup (32 fl oz/946 ml) amber ale
4 cup (32 fl oz/946 ml) corn stock (see below); you can also use chicken or vegetable stock
¼ cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) lime juice (about 2 limes)
Salt
Preheat the grill on high heat. Rub each ear of corn with a little olive oil and grill until the kernels begin to brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Holding the corn upright, remove the kernels from the cob, keeping the knife as close to the cob as possible. This is where you’ll get the natural cornstarch that will help thicken the soup without the need for a roux or cream. Place the cleaned cobs in a pot with 4 cups (32 fl oz/946 ml) of water and simmer for 30–45 minutes.
Preheat a large soup pot with ¼ cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) olive oil. Add the bacon and cook until the edges begin to brown. Add the onions and cook until translucent, being careful not to let them brown. Add the jalapeño and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the corn kernels, beer, and stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Strain through a metal sieve. Add the lime juice and season to taste with salt.
Ladle 8–10 fl oz (237–296 ml) of soup into each bowl and garnish each serving with the crab salad.
Beer suggestions: Cook with New Belgium Fat Tire Ale (Fort Collins, Colorado), Alaskan Amber (Juneau, Alaska), Odell 90 Shilling (Fort Collins, Colorado), or similar. Pair with your favorite pilsner or pale ale.