YIELD 2-4 people
FEATURED SEAFOOD Picked Blue Crab Meat, Hard Shell Blue Crabs
Our customer Ed K. submitted this recipe for savory She Crab Soup. After much trial and error he captured the taste of the Crystal Coast, specifically Morehead City’s version of She Crab Soup.
From Ed, “I like at least some clawmeat, as it is sweeter than the backfin or lump. A lot of times, I feel through the crabmeat to find any shell that might have been packed with it, otherwise you may end up with more shell than you probably want. If you don’t care that’s fine. I don’t mind a little shell, the backfin shells are usually pretty soft and if you’ve ever picked crab yourself you can understand the balance between a little shell and spending FOREVER picking crab.”
Ingredients
One small onion
4 stalks celery
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup water, vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup cooking sherry (cream sherry) –(sub white wine)
1-2 lb of claw, back fin or lump crab meat
6 cups Half-and-half – (sub whole milk, heavy cream, or a combination of any of the three)
Salt/Pepper
Paprika
Cayenne pepper or hot sauce
Preparation
Melt butter in a large stock pot.
Dice celery and onion. Add to melted butter and sautéed until onions are clear.
Add 1/4 cup flour and whisk 2-3 minutes. This step is optional. If you prefer your soup the consistency of milk, skip it altogether. If you like a thicker soup, use more flour. If at the end you would like your soup thicker, mix flour with cold water and add to soup, being sure to bring to a gentle boil afterward.
Stir in cup of broth. Add 1/2 cup sherry. Stir. Add 6 cups 1/2 and 1/2. Stir constantly and bring to a low boil.
Add crab. Reduce heat. Salt/pepper/hot sauce to taste.
Serve hot.