Name: Crab-Corn Chowder
Yield: Makes 10 servings
Ingredients: 4 ears corn, shucked; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pound bacon, diced; 2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups); 8 cloves garlic, minced; 4 shallots, minced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 2 dried bay leaves; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 4 cups whole milk; 2 cups heavy cream; 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 large potatoes); 3 tablespoons maple syrup (1 1/2 ounces); 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (from about 4 sprigs); 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped; 1 pound fresh lump crab meat, picked over; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Dallas chef Kent Rathbun created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. It makes an elegant first course for Thanksgiving dinner.

Cook's note:

Instead of being grilled, corn can be roasted in 450°F oven. Gently peel back corn husks, without breaking off, and discard silks. Push husks back into place and tie ends together with strips of outer husk or kitchen string. Place on heavy rimmed baking sheet, and roast until corn is fragrant and husks are brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then remove husks and cut kernels from corn.

Recipe notes

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Crème Anglaise

The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Okonomiyaki Tater Tots

Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.