Crab Bisque

Maine is home to two varieties of crab, Jonah and Peekytoe, both of which make a delicious Crab Bisque.

Recipe provided by

Ingredients

1 pound Jonah crabmeat, checked for cartilageShop

2 quarts Shellfish Stock or Basic Fish Stock or water
10 allspice berries
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
8 tablespoons butter
4 carrots, Sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 onions,chopped
½ cup rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground mace
2 cups white wine
1/2 cup sour cream or heavy cream
2 tablespoons Amontillado or cooking sherry

Serves: 6-8

Directions

Combine the stock, allspice, cloves, and bay leaf in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour the fortified stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Reserve the stock.

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and mace. Cook until the tomato paste has darkened in color and its aroma has softened. Add the wine to the pot, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the alcohol smell dissipates. Add the reserved stock and season with salt. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently until the rice and carrots are fully cooked, about 30 minutes. Reserve half of the crabmeat for garnish. Add the remaining meat to the stock and remove the pot from heat. Transfer the soup to a blender in batches, blending until the mixture is very smooth and silky, and then strain the soup mixture through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a ladle. Discard any solids that do not pass through the strainer.

Gently reheat the bisque. Whisk in the sour cream and sherry. Serve immediately garnished with the reserved crabmeat.