Recipe: Pawleys Island She-Crab Soup

PAWLEYS ISLAND SHE-CRAB SOUP

"In this more elaborate version of she-crab soup, rice - an essential grain of the South - is used as a thickening agent. Author John Martin Taylor of Charleston, South Carolina, has long been a proponent of this method. The rice banner has been picked up and carried by such great Southern chefs as Louis Osteen, who makes a killer she-crab soup at his restaurant on Pawleys Island, South Carolina. This recipe was inspired by Chef Osteen.

Sometimes frozen crab roe is available at fish markets, but if you can't find it, don't panic; just substitute 2 finely chopped hard-boiled egg yolks. Please don't let the lack of crab roe stop you from making this soup. Remember that crabmeat picked and processed on the Gulf Coast tends to have more crab roe than that from the Chesapeake Bay area. Or you can cook your own sooks and pick them yourself."

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped leeks (white part only)
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup converted long-grain white rice
3 cups bottled clam juice
2 cups water
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1 pound crabmeat, lump preferred, picked over for shells or cartilage, or 6 to 8 sooks, steamed or boiled and picked of their meat and roe
6 tablespoons amontillado sherry, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/2 cup crab roe (not needed if you cooked your own sooks), finely chopped (see headnote)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves for garnish (optional)

Melt the butter in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. When it stops foaming, add the onion, celery, and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the bay leaf, thyme, cayenne, salt, rice, clam juice, and water. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the cream, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium (make sure the cream does not bubble up) and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, then puree the soup in a blender, food processor, or food mill. Or puree it in the pot using a hand-held immersion blender. For a very smooth soup, strain it, pushing down on the solids to get as much flavor as possible. Return the soup to the pot.

Place the pot over medium heat and add the crabmeat. Bring to a boil, stirring. Stir in the sherry. You might want to add half the sherry, then taste and flavor to your liking. Add the lemon juice, if you wish. Add the roe, if using, and warm for a minute or two.

Serve in bowls, garnished with parsley and tarragon, if desired.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Crazy For Crab by Fred Thompson