This is a new recipe, made up of an old recipe and experiments. Candy wrote me to see if I had a crab bisque recipe. I did not. I haven't made crab bisque, though I've made similar dishes. I went onto the net, and found a crab bisque recipe that was closest to what I thought a crab bisque should be. I suggested some modifications, and sent it on to Candy.

Candy ran with it from there, and here's her creation. She says: "… I used Alaskan King Crab for the bisque… I think the larger the shells for the broth, the more intense the flavor in the bisque."

Candy's Crab Bisque


Roux:

3 T butter
3 T flour

Bisque:

1 pound crab legs
1 carrot, diced
2 T onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 rib celery, diced
4 green onions tops, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons dry sherry
salt and pepper
16 ounces clam juice
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup half-and-half
dash cayenne pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

1. Split crab legs down the middle and remove meat. Reserve large pieces of crab shell.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté carrot, onion, garlic, celery, green onion, and tomatoes in oil until vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in dry sherry and season with salt and pepper.
5. Deglaze (scrape up sediment in skillet and mix with the wine.) Cook liquid down until a little thick over high heat.
6. Add clam juice and crab shells; bring to a rolling boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and continue to cook for one hour.
7. Strain and discard crab shells and vegetables.

8. Make roux: In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour and cook until blonde in color.
9. Thicken soup with the roux.. Add tomato paste, half-and-half, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
11. Add crab meat just before serving, and simmer for 5 minutes or until warm.

Candy: This makes 4 rather small servings; but with buttery croissants and a good salad and dessert, it makes a nice meal.