Colin has started a habit of cooking on Sunday nights. Sticking with the soup theme, a few weeks ago he picked a She-Crab Soup recipe out of JoC. She-Crab Soup always makes us think of our second-favorite restaurant in Columbia:
the Blue Marlin. After eating this soup, we decided to plan a day trip over Christmas just to go there for lunch (and also to see our friend Jackie of course!).
She-Crab Soup based on the recipe from
Joy of Cooking
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter *see notes
2 tbsp flour
3 cups whole milk
1 lb lump crabmeat (picked over for shells)
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce (to taste)
1/8 tsp ground mace *see notes
Yields
Not enough! This version made about three small bowls; maybe about 3 cups worth.
Directions
1. Start with a white roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Slowly mix in the flour, whisking constantly. Whisk and cook until the roux smells toasted but is not yet brown. You really can tell by smell when it's ready. You have to watch it and whisk all the time! As Paula Deen says, if the Publishers Clearinghouse knocks on your door, you holler at them to hold on a minute because you're in the middle of making a roux!
2. Remove the pan from heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Return to heat, bring to a simmer, and cook and whisk until thickened and smooth,.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in the remaining ingredients. Heat gently and season to taste.
4. Garnish with chopped scallions if you're feeling fancy.
Colin's notes:
- Make sure to use high quality butter. We have a favorite Irish butter that we use on special occasions, and she-crab soup qualifies as special.
- You can also use a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg if you don't have mace (which is what we did).
- Be careful with your non-white ingredients. Don't go overboard on the Worcestershire sauce or you'll discolor the soup.
- Stick with lump crabmeat.
- Next time, we're going to triple the amount of milk and also add an additional 6 oz. can of crabmeat, in order to increase the yield.
