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She-Crab Soup, Charleston-Style

Source of Recipe

From "In Pursuit of Flavor," by Edna Lewis


Recipe Introduction

"She-crab soup is supposed to be made with female crabs only, which often are tastier than male crabs. The crab roe is added for flavor. This delicate soup is prepared similarly to the way crab soup is cooked in Charleston, where it is famous. If crab roe is not available, hard-boil 4 chicken eggs and crumble half an egg yolk in each bowl before ladling in the soup."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ½ cup (1 stick) butter
â—¦ 3 cups milk
â—¦ 4 cups (1 quart) heavy cream
â—¦ 1 pound crabmeat, picked free of all shell and cartilage
â—¦ 2 tablespoons sherry
â—¦ 2 teaspoons salt
â—¦ Cayenne
â—¦ 2 cups crab roe, if available
â—¦ Finely chopped parsley, for garnish


Recipe

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. When the butter is melted, slowly stir in the milk so that it is well mixed. Leave the milk on a low burner and cook for 15 minutes. Stir the milk every now and then to keep it from burning on the bottom — don't let it come near a boil.

Pour the cream into a wide frying pan. Cook briskly for about 10 minutes, until the cream is thick. Pour the cream into the butter-and-milk mixture and stir well. Add the crabmeat and pour the soup into the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Cook for about 30 minutes to let the flavor develop. Season the soup with the sherry, salt, and a good sprinkling of cayenne.

Add the crab roe if you have it and check the seasoning; if you don't have it, use hard-boiled eggs as suggested in the recipe introduction. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Serves 8