Maryland Crab Bisque Recipes

CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• Break up the large pieces of crab shell: If you have large pieces of crab shell, you'll want to break them into smaller pieces. A good way to do this is to put them in a plastic freezer bag and use a rolling pin or wine bottle to roll over them to break them up a bit. Don't crush them.
• Roast the shells: For extra flavor at this point, put them on a roasting pan in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes. That will help bring out more of the crab flavor.
• Cover the shells and (almost) simmer: Put the crab shells in a large stock pot and cover with an inch of water. Put the heat on medium high and slowly heat up the water. When you see little bubbles of air starting to rise to the surface, lower the heat to medium. Do not let the water boil! You want to keep the water temp at just below a simmer, around 180°F if you have an instant thermometer. The bubbles should only occasionally come up to the surface. Do not stir! Stirring the shells will muddy the stock. As foam develops on the surface of the water, skim it away with a large spoon. Keep skimming off the foam every so often, and maintaining the heat at just below a simmer, for about an hour.
• Add the wine, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, herbs, and peppercorns: Once the stock is no longer generating foam, add the wine, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, parsley and peppercorns. Increase the heat to return the stock to a low simmer, then lower the heat to maintain that very low simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any new foam that develops. Add salt and remove from heat.
• Remove the large solids and strain through a lined sieve: Use tongs or a spider strainer to remove and discard the largest pieces of shells from the stock. Then place a few layers of dampened cheesecloth or paper towels over a large, fine mesh strainer placed over a large bowl or another pot. Pour the stock through the strainer to strain. Discard the solids. Either use the stock right away, or cool for future use. If you aren't going to use the stock in a couple of days, you can freeze it. Remember to leave enough headroom at the top of any jar you use so that the liquid has room to expand as it freezes. You should use frozen shellfish stock up within 2 months. Makes 2 to 3 quarts. Reserve 4 cups for the crab bisque, refrigerate or freeze the rest.
• Sauté the shallots in butter: In a large, 4 or 6 quart saucepan, melt butter on medium heat, add the shallots and cook gently until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the wine, stock, rice, tomato paste, and then simmer: Add the wine, stock, white rice, and tomato paste. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to continue to simmer until rice is completely cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for several minutes.
• Add two thirds of the crab meat, and then purée: Add about two thirds of the crab meat to the soup. Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender and purée until completely smooth. Return puréed soup back to soup pan.
• Add the cream, remaining crab meat, salt, and cayenne: Add cream and gently heat soup until it is hot enough for serving. Add the remaining one third of the crab meat. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste (about 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne).

CRABMEAT BISQUE MADE EASY

Steps:

• Spray a stockpot with cooking spray.
• Melt butter in the prepared stockpot over medium heat; cook and stir celery, onion, paprika, seafood seasoning, thyme, salt, and white pepper until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk flour into vegetable mixture until smooth and dissolved. Pour seafood stock over vegetable mixture.
• Mix half-and-half, cream, and milk into broth mixture; decrease heat and simmer until bisque is thickened, about 15 minutes. Add crabmeat and simmer bisque until crabmeat is heated through, about 5 minutes more.

MARYLAND CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Heat broiler, with rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Keeping each pound of crabmeat separate, turn out onto paper towels; pick through to remove any shells or cartilage.
• In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, egg, mustard, Old Bay, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Add crumbs and small-size crabmeat to mayonnaise mixture; stir well to combine. Gently fold in large-size crabmeat to mayonnaise mixture just until combined. Dividing evenly, form mixture into 8 cakes. To make ahead, see Cook's Notes.
• Place cakes on prepared baking sheet; drizzle with melted butter. Broil until golden brown and warmed throughout, 12 to 15 minutes (move to lower shelf if tops brown too quickly). Serve with tarter sauce and lemon wedges.

MARYLAND CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• In a 3-quart saucepan melt butter and saute celery for 5 minutes or until soft.
• Stir in sauce mix. Gradually stir in half and half.
• Add sherry and broth.
• Stir over low heat until soup bubbles and thickens slightly.
• Stir in crabmeat.
• Simmer 15 minutes longer.

MARYLAND CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Place whole tomatoes, water, lima beans, corn, sliced carrots, chopped onion, Old Bay seasoning, and beef broth, in a 4 quart pot. Heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Bring 1 gallon water to boil. Add crab claws and boil 6 minutes. Drain crab and set aside
• Stir crabmeat (and crabs claws, if desired) into tomato and vegetable mixture. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes longer. Serve hot.

BLUE CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• Crabs: Preheat oven to 425 F. Place crabs on a roasting pan and bake in the oven about 30 minutes, until deep red and slightly browned. In a stockpot set over medium heat, add olive oil and roasted crabs, breaking them up with a wooden spoon as they cook, 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery (the "holy trinity" of Cajun cooking) and stir, cooking just till the vegetables soften, 5 minutes.
• Stock: Add wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Turn heat to high and cook 6-8 minutes, until the wine has nearly evaporated. Add tomato paste and water. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer, 45 minutes.
• Bisque: Remove the crab shells from the stock and discard. (If you miss a couple small pieces of shell, don't worry: they'll get strained out later.) Ladle the stock into the blender, then add the juice of half a lemon and ¾ cup bread cubes. Season with a big pinch of salt and a small pinch of pepper. Cover and let sit so the bread can absorb some of the liquid, 30-60 seconds. Blend on low speed (to avoid splattering hot liquid) for 30 seconds. As the soup blends, turn to high to emulsify, 1 more minute. Taste to adjust for seasoning and texture-the soup should coat the back of a spoon. Add remaining bread, small pinches of salt and pepper, and blend on high to further thicken and emulsify, 1½ more minutes. Taste again for seasoning, then strain through a chinois to remove any small shell pieces, using the back of a ladle to push the soup through into a bowl.
• Assembly: Ladle bisque into individual serving bowls. Chop chives into ½-inch lengths (you should have about a ½ cup total). Garnish each bowl with crab meat and chives. Serve immediately.

AWARD WINNING MARYLAND CREAM OF CRAB SOUP RECIPE - (3.7/5)

Steps:

• Prepare the lump crab meat by gently picking pick through to remove as much cartilage as you can find. Try to preserve as much of the lumpy texture as you can. A small side bowl of room temperature water will help to get the cartilage off your fingers as you work. Discard cartilage. Set crab meat aside. Bring milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream to a boil. Add 1/3 crab meat, fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, butter, salt, and pepper. When it starts to boil, make a paste of cornstarch, and cold water, tap or otherwise, or cold chicken stock. Start by added the cornstarch to a small bowl and slowly whisking in the liquid until a paste forms. Whisk the paste into the soup to prevent lumps and whisk until the soup has thickened. If lumps do form continue whisking until they have been whisked out. Add another 1/3 of the crab meat, stirring gently to preserve the lumps of the lump crab meat, just until crab is heated through. Soup should be fairly thick. Garnish with remaining crab and a dash of remaining Old Bay.

REAL CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt butter over low heat.
• Mince green onion, celery, and carrot in food processor, then add to the butter, cover& sweat until tender, approximately 5 minutes.
• Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Whisk in chicken broth and milk.
• Bring to a boil, whisking often.
• When it comes to just a boil, quickly stir in cream, seasonings, sherry and crabmeat.
• Heat through, then serve.

CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. , Stir in the bouillon, cream, crab, mushrooms, basil, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Season to taste with remaining Creole seasoning and pepper if desired.

CORNISH CRAB BISQUE WITH LEMONY CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, fennel, carrot and bay leaves with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 mins until really tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then stir in the tomato purée for another 1 min. Add the brown crabmeat, saffron, brandy and some pepper, stirring until the brandy has bubbled away. Add the stock and stir until smooth. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 mins or until the vegetables are soft.
• Using a hand blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Pass the soup through a sieve back into a clean saucepan, making sure you push through as much liquid as possible. Add the cream and simmer for another 5 mins - the soup should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add a few drops of lemon juice, taste and season or add more lemon if necessary, then chill until ready to serve.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the croutons with the remaining oil, the lemon zest and some black pepper on a baking tray. Bake for 10 mins, tossing halfway through, until crisp and golden. Leave to cool, then store in a plastic container until ready to serve. The soup and croutons can be made up to 1 day ahead.
• To serve, reheat the soup and divide between shallow soup bowls. Spoon a mound of white crabmeat into the centre of each bowl, then drizzle with a little oil and add a few of the reserved fennel fronds. Float a few croutons on top and serve with a little extra black pepper, if you like.