She-crab soup

This delectable recipe will have you clamoring for more.

Aculinary icon of Charleston, South Carolina, she-crab soup was traditionally a rich combination of cream, crabmeat, roe (eggs), and a splash of sherry. The meat from a female crab is said to be sweeter, but it was the addition of her red-orange roe that created the dish's depth of flavor and beautiful pale color and resulted in the name "she-crab" soup.

These days, roe is not harvested in an ecological effort to preserve the supply of crabs. Is it still she-crab soup if there's no roe? Yes-and no. The heart of the recipe remains the same. But when you can, try it made with roe, and savor every precious spoonful.

You'll find some variations, but purists know the basic recipe is the true Southern tradition. Fresh crabmeat is essential. For all of you lucky enough to catch your own crabs, you'll need about a dozen. If you remove the shell of the female crab and discover what looks like a mass of tiny red-orange beads inside, you've struck gold-I mean roe. Remove it carefully; stir it into the soup with the crabmeat. (Note: Female crabs with roe on the outside must be returned to the water.)

Whether your crabmeat is from crabs you caught yourself or from the super-market, enjoy a taste of the region.

She-Srab Soup

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS

PREP: 10 MIN.; COOK: 1 HR., 20 MIN.

1 quart whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 fish bouillon cubes

2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 pound fresh crabmeat

Garnish: chopped parsley

1/3 cup sherry (optional)

COMBINE first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Set aside.

STIR together fish bouillon cubes and 2 cups boiling water until bouillon dissolves.

MELT butter in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add hot fish broth; cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir in cream mixture, and cook until thoroughly heated. Add lemon juice, nutmeg, and crabmeat. Ladle into individual serving bowls. Garnish, if desired. Add a spoonful of sherry to each serving, if desired.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Knorr Fish Bouillon. It is important to use good-quality sherry, not cooking sherry, for this soup.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jun 2003
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