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Cream of Crab Soup

Source of Recipe


From "Essentials of Southern Cooking" by Damon Lee Fowler



List of Ingredients



• 16 ounces (1 pound or 2 tightly packed cups) cooked crabmeat
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• ½ cup finely minced or grated shallots or yellow onion
  
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
• 4 cups whole milk
  
• 2 cups heavy cream
  
• Salt
  
• Ground cayenne pepper
  
• Dry mustard
  
• About 1 large blade mace, a large pinch powdered mace, or whole nutmeg in a grater
  
• ¼ cup dry sherry, optional
  
• 8 very thin slices lemon, optional
  
• 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley, optional
  






Instructions



1. Pick through the crabmeat and remove any bits of shell.
   Put the butter and shallots in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer until the shallots are soft but not colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and simmer, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
   
   
2. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream. Season well with salt and a small pinch of cayenne and mustard, add the mace or nutmeg to taste, and heat, stirring constantly, until lightly thickened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
   
   
3. Stir in the crabmeat and let it heat through, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasonings, then simmer 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the sherry (if using) and immediately ladle the soup into heated bowls or soup plates. For a more elegant presentation, you may float a thin slice of lemon on each serving and sprinkle on a little minced parsley.
   
   
   Serves 8 as a first course, 4 as a main dish