She-Crab Soup

This is a recipe that I came by when I lived in Charleston, S.C. I may have gotten it from the local newspaper. They always had such fabulous local recipes. The locals will tell you that you have to have she-crab and the roe to have really good She-Crab Soup, but I find absolutely nothing wrong with this recipe. I'm lucky to find crab meat without worrying about if it's a he or she with roe.

You don't have to have the sherry but it sure adds a lot of flavor.

She-Crab Soup
Serves 6
print recipe

1 quart half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 pieces lemon zest
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup crushed oyster crackers
salt and pepper to taste
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 pound white crab meat
2 tablespoons sherry

Put half-and-half in top of a double boiler with nutmeg and lemon zest and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes at simmer. Steam should rise from milk, but not boil. Then add butter and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Thicken with cracker crumbs; season with salt and pepper and Tabasco sauce. Add crab meat that has been looked over twice for shell particles.

Allow to stand on back of stove for a few minutes to bring out the flavor. Just before serving, add sherry.

This can be made with shrimp, which should be ground.