Crab and Corn Chowder

The word chowder comes from the French chaudiere - a pot traditionally used for making soups and stews. Potatoes and sweetcorn make this chunky chowder a satisfying main meal soup, attractively finished with a swirl of crème fraîche or thick natural yoghurt.

Serves 1

4 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and thinly sliced
1 celery stick, finely chopped
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup very hot (not boiling) vegetable or fish stock
1 potato, about 200 g/7 oz, cut into chunks
50 g/2 oz frozen mixed vegetables
100 g/4 oz/4 tbsp frozen sweetcorn or ½ 200 g/7 oz/small can of sweetcorn, drained
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup milk
150 g/5 oz fresh white crabmeat or a 175 g/6 oz can of white crabmeat in brine, drained
15 ml/1 tbsp fresh or frozen chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 ml/1 tbsp crème fraîche or natural thick yoghurt

1. Put the spring onions and celery in the ceramic cooking pot.
2. Pour the stock over, cover with the lid and switch on the slow cooker to Low. Leave for a few minutes while measuring and preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. Add the potato and mixed vegetables to the pot. Re-cover with the lid and cook for 2 hours or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in the sweetcorn, milk, crabmeat and most of the parsley. Cook for a further 30 minutes or until the chowder is piping hot.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then ladle into a warm bowl and top with a swirl of crème fraîche or yoghurt and sprinkle the rest of the parsley over. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Cook's tip
If using canned crabmeat, take care when adding salt to the soup as the crabmeat is preserved in brine, so will already be quite salty.

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