Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›McKelvie's Restaurant›Original Crab Bisque Recipe

Original Crab Bisque Recipe

Inspired by McKelvie's Restaurant
Time1h 15m
Serves4

Make Original Crab Bisque Recipe in just 1h 15m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Crab Stock & Base

Soup

Method

Crab Stock & Base

  1. 1

    Prepare shells

    Rinse the crab shells and carcasses under cold water to remove any grit. Pat dry.

  2. 2

    Sweat aromatics

    In a large pot over medium heat, melt 3 tbs butter. Add the chopped onion, celery, carrot and smashed garlic. Sweat until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally — do not brown.

  3. 3

    Toast shells and add tomato paste

    Add the crab shells to the pot and stir for 3–4 minutes to warm and lightly brown the shells. Stir in 1 tbs tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw flavor.

  4. 4

    Deglaze and simmer

    Pour in the white wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half (2–3 minutes). Add the water, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme sprigs and 1 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 30–40 minutes to extract flavor from the shells.

  5. 5

    Strain stock

    Remove from heat and strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or pot, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Discard solids. Taste and adjust seasoning lightly; the resulting stock should be flavorful but not overly salty.

Soup

  1. 6

    Sauté shallots

    In a clean heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbs butter. Add the finely diced shallots and cook until softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.

  2. 7

    Make roux

    Sprinkle 3 tbs flour over the shallots and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste and form a blond roux. Do not brown.

  3. 8

    Flambé (optional) and add tomato

    If using cognac/brandy, remove the pan from heat, add 30 ml cognac, then carefully ignite (or return to low heat) to burn off alcohol; let flame subside. Stir in 200 ml crushed tomato or passata and cook 1–2 minutes.

  4. 9

    Add stock and simmer

    Slowly whisk in the reserved crab stock until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10 minutes to thicken and marry flavors, stirring occasionally so the roux doesn't stick.

  5. 10

    Purée (optional for silky texture)

    For a velvety bisque, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, or carefully transfer in batches to a blender (use a towel over the lid) and blend until smooth, then return to pot.

  6. 11

    Finish with dairy and seasoning

    Reduce heat to low. Stir in 250 ml heavy cream and 120 ml whole milk, then add 0.25 tsp cayenne or Old Bay and 0.5 tsp paprika. Gently heat—do not boil—until warmed through and slightly thickened, about 3–5 minutes. Taste and season with 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp ground black pepper, adjusting to preference.

  7. 12

    Add crab meat

    Fold in 1.5 cups reserved lump crab meat (reserving 0.5 cup for garnish) and warm gently for 2–3 minutes to heat the meat through without overcooking. Stir in 1 tbs fresh lemon juice to brighten flavors.

  8. 13

    Serve

    Ladle bisque into warmed bowls. Garnish each bowl with a spoonful of reserved crab meat and sprinkle 2 tbs chopped chives. Optionally drizzle a small swirl of cream or melted herb butter. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

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