Cream of Crab Soup

·         2 quarts crab stock

·         2 quarts heavy cream

·         2 lg shallots minced very fine

·         1/4 C. dry sherry

·         1 Tbsp. Old Bay

·         2 sticks butter 

·         1 1/2 C. flour

·         1 lb. crab meat Special or Lump

In a large pot melt 1/2 stick of butter and gently sweat the shallots. When the shallots are soft with no color, I like to mash them with a potato masher just to make them melt into the soup.

Add sherry and reduce by 2/3.

Dust with 2 Tbsp of flour and incorporate. I like to begin using a whisk at this point to make sure the soup is smooth and creamy.

When the sherry is reduced, add 1 qt heavy cream, allowing it to heat through. Be gentle with the heat - this preparation takes time and needs to be heated thoroughly but slowly.

Add 1 qt. of crab stock and bring to temp and whisk.

In a separate pan, melt remaining butter and then slowly add flour to make a blonde roux.

Once the soup is come up to temp, just below simmer, add 3 Tbsp of the roux and whisk to incorporate. The soup should begin to thicken slightly as the soup comes back to temp. Continuing to slowly cook.

Add 1 qt of cream and continue to slowly heat. Remember we don’t want to break the cream. Slower better.

Add 2 Tbsp of roux and allow to slowly thicken over low heat again. The consistency is your own, allow it to thicken the way you like it. Ideally you are looking for a consistency that lightly coats the back of the spoon.

At this point you are just looking for the proper consistency, add the roux as needed you may or may not need more? Season with Old Bay to your liking.

Pro Tip: Reserve crabmeat until the end. Prior to ladling out the soup into your bowl gently heat 2-3 oz of crabmeat, per bowl of soup you are serving, in the microwave and add to the hot soup. Do this to preserve the beautiful lumps of crabmeat. Garnish again with a sprinkle of Old Bay and serve.

Makes about 1 gal of soup

6 oz bowls – 21

8 oz bowls – 16

10 oz bowls – 12

You can save an refrigerate leftovers for up to 6 days. When reheating slowly bring to temp and add milk of cream to adjust consistency.

Serve with some warm crusty bread and a salad for a great meal!

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Brian Grabarek