She Crab Soup Recipe

Sweat the aromatics

In a heavy 4- to 5-quart pot set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the finely chopped onion, diced celery, and diced carrot and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes; do not allow browning.

Make the roux

Sprinkle the flour over the softened vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. The mixture should become paste-like and pale blond.

Deglaze

Slowly add the white wine while stirring (it will bubble and reduce). Scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add stock and simmer

Gradually whisk in the chicken stock until smooth. Add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to meld flavors and thicken slightly.

Finish with cream

Stir in the heavy cream and half-and-half. Warm the soup gently — do not boil after adding cream — and simmer on very low for 5 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

Temper and add crab

Ladle 1 cup of the hot soup into a small bowl and whisk in the lump crab meat and optional crab roe to gently warm them (this prevents the crab from overcooking when added to the pot). Then fold the tempered crab and roe back into the pot. Warm through on lowest heat for 2–3 minutes — the crab should be heated but still tender.

Adjust seasoning

Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a pinch more cayenne if desired. If the soup is too thick, thin with up to 1/2 cup warm stock or water and recheck seasoning.

Ladle the she crab soup into warmed bowls. Drizzle a teaspoon of dry sherry over each bowl if using. Sprinkle with snipped chives and chopped parsley. Finish with a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread or oyster crackers.