[CH] beware, untried recipe!

Judy Howle (howle@ebicom.net)
Wed, 24 Mar 1999 19:00:11 -0600

Chesapeake Bay Chili 

                 Although Baltimore is best known for hot-spiced crabs, it
is also a city that once
                 prided itself on the creamiest seafood stews between Boston
and Savannah. We're
                 thinking in particular of the old, long-departed Chesapeake
House, where the
                 finest seafood in town was served in high style by a staff
of waiters with a tenure
                 that probably went back to some time just after the Civil War. 

                 In remembrance of such bygone silver chafing-dish meals and
in salute to the rich
                 crab imperial that is still a specialty of many local crab
houses, this seafood chili is
                 as mild as chili can be: svelte and ineffably deluxe, with
only enough pepper to
                 keep the tastebuds from falling into a happy, cream-induced
stupor. It is a very
                 unusual chili, but one of our favorites when comfort food
is required. 

                     2 tablespoons butter
                     1/4 cup chopped scallions
                     1 cup chopped celery
                     1 pound medium shrimp, peeled
                     1 cup heavy cream
                     1/2 cup whole milk
                     11/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
                     1 teaspoon salt
                     1 teaspoon ground white pepper
                     1 teaspoon celery salt
                     1/2 teaspoon chili powder (ha, ha!)
                     1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over to remove any bits
of soft shell or
                     cartilage (the better the crab, the better this dish
will taste)
                     2 eggs, hard cooked and sliced
                     Cooked rice

                 1. In a heavy skillet or saucepan, melt the butter and
sauté the scallions and celery
                 until soft. Add the shrimp and sauté until pink. 

                 2. In a small bowl, combine the cream and milk and stir in
the flour until smooth.
                 Add the cream mixture to the skillet along with the salt,
pepper, celery salt, and
                 chili powder. Stir and cook over low heat until the mixture
thickens. Gently stir in
                 the crabmeat and eggs. 

                 3. Serve at once; this chili does not improve with age.
Serve on white rice.

                     Excerpted from Chili Nation by Jane and Michael Stern. 
Judy