Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
- ½ quart heavy cream
- ½ quart store-bought or homemade crab or shellfish stock
- 1 bay leaf, 1 thyme sprig and 1 tarragon sprig in a cheesecloth bag (Optional TFD addition)
- 3 tsp. onion juice
- ½ tsp. mace
- ½ tsp. microplaned lemon zest
- 1 tsp. freshly-ground South Carolina mustard bbq sauce (very optional TFD addition – replace with ½ tsp. freshly-ground white pepper for authenticity)
- ½ tsp. Old Bay seasoning (TFD addition, leave out for authenticity)
- ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. cornstarch or TFD’s preference of cooked white rice blended with some crab stock to a paste
- 2 cups white crab meat, ½ cup cooked and reserved
- 1 lb. crab roe (preferred) or dried shrimp roe to taste or go with the classic substitute of 1 cup crumbled hard-boiled egg yolk
- ½ tsp. Kosher salt
- 1 cup dry Fino sherry, warmed
- paprika and/or minced fresh parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- Bring water in the bottom of a double boiler to a boil, reduce heat so that water barely simmers and make sure that the amount of water does not touch the bottom of the top of the double boiler.
- Melt butter in the top of a double boiler and blend with the cornstarch or rice blend until smooth.
- Add the cream and stock gradually, stirring constantly.
- Add the crab meat and roe and all seasonings except sherry and cook slowly, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes. Remove cheesecloth bag and discard.
- To serve, spoon soup into bowls, add a mound of cooked reserved crab in center of bowl. Then, pass warmed sherry in a separate cup and allow each guest to stir into the soup to their taste. Sprinkle with parsley and/or paprika.
Nutrition
- Calories: 746.39 kcal
- Sugar: 6.19 g
- Sodium: 960.99 mg
- Fat: 56.35 g
- Saturated Fat: 31.49 g
- Trans Fat: 0.13 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.21 g
- Fiber: 0.29 g
- Protein: 43.17 g
- Cholesterol: 664.12 mg