Email to Cat      

Eastern Shore Crab Soup

Source of Recipe

From "Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"Filled with fresh lump crabmeat and seasoned with Old Bay, a spice blend that comes from my home state of Maryland, this soup tastes like a day on the Eastern Shore. In fact, the recipe was scribbled down on a piece of paper for me by the chef from the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, when we were there celebrating my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. It is unapologetically rich and indulgent. Please don't be tempted to substitute the half-and-half with milk. It won't thicken properly unless you add more butter and flour, which would defeat the whole purpose of making it lighter by using milk instead of half-and-half. I promise, it's 100 percent worth it!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 4 cups half-and-half
â—¦ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, plus more for serving
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ â…› teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 2 tablespoons dry sherry
â—¦ ½ pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shells
â—¦ Finely chopped chives, for garnish
â—¦ Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)


Recipe

Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute, until well blended.

Whisking constantly, gradually add the half-and-half to the pot. Add the mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently (be sure to scrape the edges of the pot, where the flour mixture tends to settle). As soon as the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the sherry and crabmeat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If the soup is too thick, add water, little by little, to thin it out (it will thicken the longer it sits on the stove, even off of the heat). Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the chives. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Serves 4




• Make-Ahead Instructions:
The soup can be made (up until the point of adding the sherry and crabmeat) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. It will thicken up in the refrigerator, so thin it with a little water when reheating if necessary. Add the sherry and crabmeat right before serving.