Charleston She Crab Soup Recipes

SOUTH CAROLINA SHE-CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a smooth paste, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in the onion, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir for about 4 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in the half and half cream so that no lumps form. Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, and pour in half of the sherry. Season with dill, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until soup has reduced by 1/3. Add crabmeat, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Ladle soup into bowls, and top off with a splash of the remaining sherry and a sprinkle of fresh chives.

CHARLESTON SHE-CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• 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 flour until smooth.
• Add the milk gradually, stirring constantly.
• Add the crab meat and roe and all seasonings except sherry and cook slowly, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes.
• To serve, place a tablespoon of warmed sherry in the bottom of each individual soup bowl.
• Add soup and top with a dollop of whipped cream.
• Sprinkle with parsley and/or paprika.

SHE CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter over medium low heat, add shallots, celery, carrots and bell pepper, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Deglaze pan with 1/2 white wine, scrapping up any browned bits.
• Whisk in clam juice and chicken broth (or fish stock), rice, tomato paste, Worcestershire, Old Bay seasoning, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, cooking until vegetables are tender and rice is very soft, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• In batches to avoid burning yourself, puree crab soup in a blender until smooth. Once soup is pureed, bring it back to a simmer over a medium low heat.
• Add in crab meat, and whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Cook just until hot, adding 1/2 cup sherry the last 2-3 minutes for additional flavor. If necessary, thin soup with additional broth to desired thickness.
• Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a dash of paprika and an additional shot of sherry if desired.

CAROLINA SHE-CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium low, whisk in the flour and continue to cook, stirring constantly. You are essentially making a roux without browning it. Stir in the seafood seasoning, nutmeg, bay leaf and pepper, then whisk in the sherry and clam juice. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the seafood stock and crab roe, if using, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream and Worcestershire, return to a simmer and cook until thickened and reduced slightly, another 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, then puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender; let cool slightly first, and use caution when blending hot liquids). Season with salt. Stir in the crabmeat and garnish with crab roe if desired.

CHARLESTON SHE CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in double boiler and blend in flour until smooth. Add milk gradually, stir constantly. Add everything else except sherry. Cook slow over hot water for 20 minutes. When ready to serve put 1 tablespoon of warm sherry in each bowl.