Some lost things are best forgotten, said Christopher Kimball in Cook’s Country Best Lost Suppers (America’s Test Kitchen). Others are “great finds” just waiting to be “restored to their original luster.” This recipe for a mid-Atlantic specialty came to us from Camilla Saulsbury, whose father grew up on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Her family’s roots date to the 1600s, and the recipe may be even older than that. Partan is a Scots word for crab; bree is a liquid containing something boiled and left to soak. The dish is best served with egg-shaped Maryland beaten biscuits.
Recipe of the week
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Chesapeake Partan Bree
1-1⁄4 cups water
3⁄4 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
Salt
8 ears corn, husks and silk removed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups heavy cream
8 slices bacon, chopped
8 oz morel mushrooms, sliced thin, or shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
1-1⁄2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
2 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
1 lb crabmeat, picked over for shells
Pepper
3 tbsp minced fresh chives
Bring water, rice, pinch salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover; cook until all water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Off heat, remove lid; place clean kitchen towel folded in half over saucepan. Replace lid; let sit. Stand corn upright inside bowl; carefully cut kernels from 5 ears corn using paring knife. Grate remaining 3 ears corn on large holes of box grater into separate bowl. Scrape remaining pulp from cobs into bowl with grated corn using back of butter knife. (Do not discard cobs.)
Combine cobs, broth, cream in large saucepan; bring to simmer, cook 5 minutes. Cover; let steep off heat 20 minutes, then discard cobs. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 3 tbsp bacon fat; return pot to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their juices and are brown around edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in whiskey and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Transfer mushroom mixture to bowl; cover to keep warm.
Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, 1⁄2 tsp salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in broth mixture and grated corn, scraping up browned bits. Bring to simmer; cook until flavors have combined, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn kernels and rice; continue to cook until kernels are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved mushroom mixture and crabmeat; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with reserved bacon and chives and serve. Serves 8.
