Crab Bisque Chincoteague

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In the spring of 2019 I visited an estate sale here on Chincoteague Island. Upon entering I could tell this was my kinda lady. Beautiful kitchen equipment, lovely nautical themed linens, vintage Shore Stop drink coolers (growing up, EVERYONE had one to take to the beach). All my favorite books lined the shelves – Beautiful Swimmers, A Sand County Almanac, A Gift From The Sea, random Eastern Shore history books.

It was an older couple’s family beach house for decades, filled with treasures collected from a lifetime of loving this unique little spot I’m lucky to call home. I couldn’t help but feel an instant connection.

My favorite finds were two advertising items. The first is a full page ad for Old Bay Seasoning’s 75th Anniversary, that ran in the Baltimore Sun back on Memorial Day weekend of 2014. It’s framed in a really rustic nautical looking frame – I just love it. It is right at home in my living room!The second was a poster for the 1988 Crab Derby held in Crisfield, Maryland. Taped on the back is a copy of a check made out to Mrs. Joan Folio. She had entered her “Crab Bisque Chincoteague”  in their recipe contest that year, and took home the Grand Prize! Which, is truly an honor. My mom and dad live in Crisfield, so that made it special to me too.

I also had picked up a binder of recipes that she’d collected – that has every winning recipe from the Crab Derby going back all the way to 1963! I’m pleased to report that her Crab Bisque was in the binder as well. So when I got everything home and connected the dots I was stoked. I couldn’t wait to make her recipe.

I’ve made it many times since then, always meaning to snag a photo and share this story here on the blog – but it was always inhaled before I had the time to do so. It truly is the best crab soup I’ve ever had in my life.

It’s pretty much a standard cream of crab base- but the addition of lemon pepper seasoning really gives it a little something special. There’s a little bit of cheddar that also makes it stand out, giving it a nice bite. And there are no fillers – no bullshit onions or celery. Just CRAB.

I’d tried to look up Mrs. Joan in the past couple years – googling her name to no avail. If I’d found her I don’t know what I would have done – maybe just sent a postcard proclaiming my love of her bisque. I never found anything, but still continued to think of her often, and when I did – she would always bring a smile to my face.

Flash forward to last week when we steamed our first batch of crabs for the year. I made the bisque with the leftovers I’d picked, AND managed to get a photo. Sitting down to write this blog post I thought, “let me give it one more search”. And there she was, right at the top of the search results – her obit from August 20, 2020.She’d evidently struggled with Alzheimer’s since 2018, and COVID-19 is what brought her to meet her maker last summer. She was 86. Had a beautiful family with children and grandchildren. It was great to finally get to read about her, and see her picture – she was exactly the kind of person I’d painted a picture of in my mind. They even mentioned her love of Chincoteague in the article…

I never had the pleasure to meet Carol Joan Folio, but I have a pretty good feeling that we would have been fast friends. Estate sales always kind of make me sad, but it brings a smile to my face knowing I will give these things new life in our home. I hope it would bring a smile to hers too. Cheers to you, Joan!

Crab Bisque Chincoteague

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups cream
3 Tbsp sherry
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tsp seafood seasoning (J.O. #1 is my go-to)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 lb lump crab meat
chopped parsley, for garnish

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk, cooking for about 2 minutes, to make a roux.

Slowly add the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly, until mixture starts to thicken. About 5 minutes.

Whisk in cheddar, sherry, seafood seasoning, lemon pepper, and 1 Tbsp chopped parsley. Gently fold in the crab meat. Season to taste with salt.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with additional fresh parsley.

Source: Mrs. Carol Joan Folio

Chesapeake Cheddar & Chive Scones

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I recently appeared on our local news program Delmarvalife, and shared my recipe for scones. Then got to thinking I’ve never shared them with you guys! I’ve baked part-time in the summer for a local coffeehouse in town for a few summers now, which is where I got the base recipe for these fabulous, flaky wonders. They’re a buttermilk base – which I love the slight tang that it lends to the scones.

A lot of recipes call for heavy cream, and I’ve been down that road, but I really didn’t like the results as much. They were more, well – heavy. These are crumbly and light as air – yet moist and melt in your mouth.

When I bake for the coffeeshop it’s usually traditional fruit combinations – cranberry orange, apricot almond, lemon ginger. But a couple years ago I thought I’d try something savory – good scones are so similar to a good biscuit – I knew they’d be banging with a bowl of creamy oyster stew or clam chowder. So I went to work…

Cheddar cheese is always a good place to start. Along with any fresh herb you’ve got lying around. I’ve been blessed with a great chive plant the past couple of years. Stays hearty and doesn’t all go to seed if I turn my back on it (word to Mr. T at Thomas Gardens for always having the best offerings!). Which reminds me, it’s time to get seeds started!

And, like any Eastern Shore girl worth my salt, I threw some crab seasoning in there for good measure. It always adds a ton of flavor, and looks pretty sprinkled on top of things. They turned out great! Were a hit here at home and at the coffee shop, and know they will be with you guys too.

Perfect to do some baking on a blustery weekend! stay warm, friends.

Chesapeake Cheddar & Chive Scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated Sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp crab seasoning (I love JO #1 Spice)
1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp chives, chopped
2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat at 400F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and crab spice in a large bowl.

Cut butter into small pieces and blend it together with the flour. Mixture should look like coarse crumbs. You could also do this in a food processor pulsing it a couple of times until butter is the size of peas.

Fold in the cheese (lol) and chives.

Make a well in the bottom of the bowl, and add about 3/4 of the buttermilk – gently combine until the dough JUST comes together. Be careful not to over-mix. Reserve remainder of buttermilk to brush top of scones before baking.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead lightly a couple of times. Flatten the dough into approx. 6-inch round circle and about 1 and 1/2 inches in thickness. Cut circle into 6 equal slices.

Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with buttermilks and a little additional crab seasoning.

Bake 18 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature. Can be kept in airtight container for a couple of days. Or in freezer for a couple of months.

New England Clam Chowder

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New England Clam Chowder

Last summer I did a poll on Instagram on clam chowders – Manhattan vs. New England. The cream-based New England won by a long shot, at 80%. I’ve had a recipe for the tomato based Manhattan clam chowder here on the blog for a couple of years. But it was clear I needed to get my version of the cream based up here as well.

We’ve been doing our fair share of fishing lately. Alternating between going out on the sea side, and the bay side of the Eastern Shore. We’ve had some great days, including my first citation fish – a 14 pound sheepshead. Still walking on air over that one!

Often our fishing leaves sessions leave us with some leftover bait, in the form of fresh big chowder clams. Shout out to Chip, our clam man, who makes home deliveries!

The kids have also started to dig them up on Sundays when we’re out at Little Beach. Usually they’re smaller and we just toss them on the grill – but sometimes they’re big enough to become a pot of chowder.

At any rate, I finally got around to making it AND taking a photo of it. It’s rich and creamy, filled with chunks of bacon, potatoes, onions, celery, and chopped clams – that lend a lovely brininess. And as with most soups, it’s even better the next day!

If you can’t find fresh clams, no worries. You can easily used canned clams and clam juice – both of which are available at any grocery store.

New England Clam Chowder

24 large chowder clams*
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
kosher salt
black pepper
oyster crackers, for serving
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Scrub the clams clean using a clean scrub brush. Place clams into a large pot and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cover. Steam the clams until they have all popped open, about 15 minutes. Remove the clams from the pot and set aside to cool.

Strain the clam steaming liquid through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove any grit and reserve the liquid. Remove the clams from the shells and chop well (I use my food processor and give it about 5 pulses). Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot (I use the same one that I use to steam the clams), add the bacon and cook over medium-high until the bacon is crispy – about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to drain. Add the celery and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes, thyme, bacon, chopped clams, and reserved clam juice. Stir to combine, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 35 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add in cream and cook for 15 minutes more.

Add 2 Tbsp of cold water to the cornstarch and mix to combine. Pour into chowder and stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley and a handful of oyster crackers before serving.

*If fresh clams are not available, substitute 2 (10 oz) cans of chopped clams and 2 (14 oz) bottles of clam juice or broth.

Creamy Oyster Stew

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Years ago Jon and I were enjoying dinner at one of the finer establishments here on the island. The couple sitting behind us were visiting the area – and not yet acquainted with oyster stew when they saw it on the menu. When they asked the waitress what exactly it entailed, she replied in a thick Chincoteague accent with “Honey – it’s oysters. With a little bit of milk in it”…

Jon and I both laughed – because seriously, how could you not know what it was? And also, her reply was so cut and dry – and perfectly summed up oyster stew. I still think about it and chuckle every time I see it on the menu!

Last week the good folks at Cherrystone Aqua Farms were kind enough to send me a box full of oysters and clams. They’re started shipping these Eastern Shore of Virginia delights all over the country recently, so if any of my friends are looking for a taste check them out. I’m picky about my bivalves, and I can’t rave enough about everything that they offer.

Of course we love to enjoy them as is on the half shell, that happened approximately three minutes after the box arrivied. But I wanted to make something I could take a photo of and share with you guys. Not that photos of just oysters aren’t pretty…I love those too, obvi.

But, I’ve been needing to get more oyster recipes up. And, with being stuck at home with nothing to do besides cook – it was the perfect opportunity to get another one under the belt here at Tide & Thyme!

We had rainy weather for most of the weekend, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity for a batch of oyster stew. Ashamed I didn’t have this on the blog yet, as it’s one of the most Eastern Shore-y of all Eastern Shore dishes. It’s simple, quick, comforting and very filling.

Just like everything else, everyone  has their favorite way of preparing it. I like to use heavy cream instead of milk, because why not? I love the combination of the rich cream and the plump briny oysters. I also add some minced celery, which is pretty conventional – and some minced shallot, which isn’t.

Don’t be afraid to make it your own, just don’t go too crazy. You want to let the flavor of the oyster shine in this simple stew!

Creamy Oyster Stew

4 Tbsp butter
2 stalks celery, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 cups heavy cream
12 oysters, shucked – meat and liquor reserved
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Oyster crackers or saltines
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and shallot, and cook until softened – about 4 minutes.

Gently pour in cream, and bring to a simmer. Add oysters and their liquid into pan, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until oysters plump up and the edges begin to curl; about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and oyster crackers.