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Charleston She-Crab Soup

Charleston She-Crab Soup

Cuisine:American

Course:Soup

0s prep 15m cook 15m ready

About 4 cups; 4 servings “She-crab” alludes to the traditional use of female crabs in this soup, along with their ruby-red roe. To use fresh crabs (and, potentially, their roe) you will need approximately 6 pounds blue crabs or 4 pounds Dungeness crabs. Poach or boil if necessary, crack the shells and pick the meat out, and proceed as directed, adding any roe along with the crabmeat.

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Ingredients

Servings:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons dry sherry
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • (½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste)
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground mace
  • Thinly sliced green onions

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Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Melt in a large saucepan over low heat: 2 tablespoons butter

  2. Step 2.

    Whisk in: 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  3. Step 3.

    Cook, whisking, until the flour smells toasted but is not browned, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in: 3 cups milk

  4. Step 4.

    Return to the heat, bring to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat whisking constantly, until thickened and smooth. Reduce the heat to low and stir in: 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage; 1 to 2 tablespoons dry sherry; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; (½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste); ⅛ teaspoon ground mace

  5. Step 5.

    Adjust the seasonings. Heat gently just until the crab is warmed through. Garnish with: Thinly sliced green onions

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