She-Crab Soup

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/17/2009 - 22:26
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Summary

Yield6
RecipesSeafood

Description

Originally this soup was prepared with the meat and roe from female blue crabs. If you're able to get them and prefer cooking them yourself, you'll need eight or nine large crabs to get a pound and a half of meat and roe. Since the crabs can be hard to find, we offer a recipe using lump crabmeat. Our version is as quick and easy as it is delicious.

Ingredients

  • 2 hard-cooked eggs, optional

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 1 scallion including green top, minced

  • 1 rib celery, minced

  • 2 tablespoons flour

  • 2 cups Fish Stock, or bottled clam juice

  • 2 cups milk

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 1 1/2 pounds lump crabmeat, picked free of shell

  • 1/4 cup dry sherry

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • 6 thin slices lemon

Instructions

1. If using the eggs, separate the yolks from the whites and save the whites for another use. Press the yolks through a sieve and reserve.

2. In a large pot, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the scallion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, milk and cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring.

3. Add the sieved egg yolks, if using, the crabmeat, sherry, salt and pepper and bring almost to a simmer. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with a pinch of paprika and a lemon slice.