This is how it began, from a reader, link here.
I replied with this.
Reader's reply:
Oh, I've heard of that - lovely photo. Thanks!
When
I see fennel, tarragon, orange peel, etc. it makes me cringe. If I had
a cup, it might be better than what it sounds, but it seems those
flavors would overpower the lobster. I guess I could make the base by
itself and see how it tasted before I added the lobster. (;>) As a
matter of fact, I'll try it this winter. You just never know. I may
just leave the tarragon alongside the kettle. (Kind of like the martini
makers who whisper the word "Vermouth")
Years
ago I knew a doctor whose idea of a martini involved swirling a drop
of vermouth in a glass and then dumping out the vermouth. I found an
old glass syringe at an antique store. The plunger was wrapped with
string to keep a tight seal. He loved to use that syringe. I don't
think he ever finished a bottle of vermouth, but we sure went thru the
gin - ha!
Definitely all in
for using the shells for the seafood stock. A good stock from bones,
trimmings, etc. makes all the difference in the final flavor.
Here's
closer to what I do. This is Paula Deen's recipe for She-Crab soup.
I've made it with shrimp, crab or lobster. I normally use less than
half as much garlic, and take it easy on the other spices. When I ate
she-crab soup in Charleston, it was accompanied by a fine little crystal
glass of sherry. (slightly smaller than a shot glass, and not plumb
full). You added the splash of sherry yourself. Divine!
Although it's not traditional, I like to add finely diced potatoes (peeled, of course) that have been steamed.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup minced sweet onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups seafood stock
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound blue crab meat or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked free of shells and divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground mace
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup sherry
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until tender. Whisk in flour, and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in stock, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened. Stir in cream, half of crab, 1 teaspoon salt, and next 3 ingredients; cook until heated through.
- In a medium bowl, gently stir together sherry, parsley, remaining crab, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Ladle soup into serving bowls, and top with crab mixture.
