By Michael Araj
There is a restaurant local to where I work that serves She-crab soup every Friday for its special. While She-crab soup, of course, is in itself special, nobody seems to agree on much about it, what should (and just as importantly, should not) go into its preparation.
The orange tint of most of the she-crab soups that are made come from the crab roe addition to it; however, this can be difficult to find due to crabbing laws and geography depending on where you’re located. Some people add crumbled hard boiled yolks to imitate the texture, others find this sacrilegious.
One thing almost everyone does agree on is that there is something comforting about a seafood bisque-like soup that invokes images of warmth, comfort and sunshine. Below, you’ll find our own recipe for crab bisque. We used Maryland blue crab and seafood stock that was leftover from our Paella recipe. We substituted the traditional grated white onion for shallots for a more mild taste and added the addition of fragrant garlic to enhance the crab meat.
One area you cannot go wrong with any seafood bisque is to add a teaspoon of sherry or other dry white wine to your serving bowl which will add a depth of flavor to the soup. As always, bon appetit!
Heat the butter over medium heat, then add the shallots to sweat them down. 
Add the crab and let it simmer for about ten minutes. 
Serve and impress! 
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant – this will help prevent it from burning. 
Mixing equal parts fat (butter) and flour will help thicken a sauce or soup. 
Add the milk mixture in while stirring – the roux will help it thicken. 
Before beginning the soup, begin bringing the milk and stock to a boil. 
Mis en place of ingredients for the recipe. Getting the ingredients ready ahead of time will make cooking a breeze.
Crab Bisque
Ingredients:
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup seafood stock (preferably homemade, but can use store bought)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- Salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 pound crab (preferably blue She crabs, but other varieties will suffice)
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Sherry or other dry white wine
- Chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- In a pot, place milk and stock. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Keep mixture on simmer while working on the soup.
- In a large pot, melt butter on medium high heat. Once pan is hot, add shallots. Stir frequently until translucent, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add flour and stir regularly until flour turns brown and bubbles.
- Add the hot milk/stock mixture into the soup pot with the flour, stirring while adding. The mixture will start to thicken.
- Add crab. Continue to simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid is thickened.
- Turn off heat and stir in the heavy cream. Adjust seasonings to taste. Let sit for 3-4 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Add a teaspoon of sherry to each serving bowl and ladle soup. (Alternatively, add 3 teaspoons of the sherry to the entire pot. If you wish to avoid alcohol, substitute with apple cider vinegar). Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.
The Comforted Table 