Monday, March 23, 2009

Savannah-Style Crab Soup


Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 cups chopped carrot
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cups clam juice
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
  • 1/3 cup dry sherry

Preparation

Place flour in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrot and the next 5 ingredients (carrot through garlic), and sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add Old Bay seasoning, salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and bay leaf; cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the browned flour over vegetable mixture, and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in clam juice, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until mixture is slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Stir in the milk and half-and-half; cook 4 minutes. Stir in crabmeat and sherry; cook 5 minutes or until the soup is thoroughly heated. Discard bay leaf before serving.

No comments: