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Charleston she-crab soup
Rich, creamy crab bisque finished with sherry
She-crab soup was first made in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1900s and is still ordered at the city's oldest dining rooms: a velvety cream soup full of sweet blue crabmeat, coloured orange with crab roe from the female crabs. A splash of dry sherry is stirred into each bowl at the table; the alcohol doesn't cook off, so leave it out for children or anyone avoiding alcohol and add a few drops of lemon juice instead. Chef's tip: never let the soup boil once the cream is in, or the crab turns stringy.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 16 oz white crabmeat, fresh or pasteurisedpicked over for shell
- 1 ¾ oz butter
- 1 small onionfinely chopped
- 1 celery stickfinely chopped
- 1 ¼ oz plain flour
- 2 cups fish or shellfish stock
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- ¾ cup double cream
- ¼ tsp ground mace
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 tbsp dry sherry (or lemon juice for alcohol-free) (optional)to serve
- 1 tbsp chivessnipped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Melt the 1 ¾ oz butter in a heavy pan over a medium-low heat and cook the 1 small onion and 1 celery stick for 8 minutes until very soft, not browned.
8 minStep 2: Stir in the 1 ¼ oz plain flour for 2 minutes, then whisk in the 2 cups fish or shellfish stock and 1 ¾ cups whole milk a little at a time to a smooth sauce. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring.
12 minStep 3: Add the ¾ cup double cream, ¼ tsp ground mace, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, ¾ tsp salt and 1 pinch cayenne pepper and bring back to just below a simmer.
3 minStep 4: Stir in the 16 oz white crabmeat, fresh or pasteurised and 2 tbsp crab roe or 2 hard-boiled egg yolks, sieved and heat gently for 5 minutes until the crab is piping hot. A common mistake is boiling now, which toughens the crab and can split the cream.
5 minStep 5: Ladle into bowls, add a spoonful of 4 tbsp dry sherry (or lemon juice for alcohol-free) to each if using, and scatter with 1 tbsp chives.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does charleston she-crab soup take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of small onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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