Friday, November 11, 2011

Rosie Makes Crab Soup.

Sadly, it's the last of blue crab season.
Happily, the last of the crabs are the biggest and fattest of the crabs. They're fattening themselves up before they bury down in the sand for the long winter.
We're switching pots. Mr. Hawthorne, measure twice, pot once.
We paid $14 for a baker's dozen of crabs at Billy's Seafood.
To cook crabs, Mr. Hawthorne puts the crabs and an inch of water in the pot. Bring to boil and let steam at full boil. A dozen crabs takes about twelve minutes. Turn off. Let cool down. The best way to eat crabs is with a squirt of lemon juice and melted butter running down your chin.
ET Call home. I think we'll have to go back to Billy's to get some more of the little beasties before they're all gone. This is some of the sweetest meat ever. As you know, Rosie doesn't do leftovers. Rosie does Moreovers. I'm making Moreover Crab Soup.
1/2 onion 1 stalk celery some carrots potato
I finely chopped the onion, celery, and carrots. Don't you like those cute little carrot coins?
Chopped bacon. Maybe 5 pieces. (Can you have too much bacon?)
1 quart of shrimp stock from 09/11 Heat the stock. Do not boil or simmer.
In a large pot, I fried the bacon bits, stirring occasionally.
While the bacon cooked, I diced my skin-on potato. Whenever you're using a potato, wait until you're ready to cook it before chopping. You don't want the potato to discolor.
When the bacon was cooked, I added in 2 tablespoons butter and ...
... the potatoes.
The light had changed on my pile of vegetables. As in this picture has light on it. Compare it to the one above.
I let the potatoes cook for about 5 minutes before adding in the rest of the vegetables.
When the potatoes are just tender, I added in 2 more tablespoons of butter. Let the butter melt ...
... then add in 1/4 cup of flour.
Stir for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
I like the steam in this picture.
You want to cook the flour to get rid of the raw taste and you want to scrape up those goody bits on the bottom.
After the flour is cooked, slowly pour in the shrimp stock, stirring.
This is thickening up nicely.
Add some more shrimp stock and let it thicken. Gradually use the whole quart.
Taste test for salt and pepper.
Add one cup of heavy cream.
Sherry to taste. Let heat through over low heat.
Mr. Hawthorne was kind enough to pick the crabs.
Crabmeat in the pot. Heat through and serve.
Not without a few taste tests for the cook.
I like a bit of greenery in a cream-based soup. Chives and parsley from the garden.
Chop the greenery.
Dinner is served.
And lunch.
Rich, creamy, crabby goodness.
A most excellent soup, indeed.

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