Ingredients:
- Crab shells from 1 lb (450 g) cooked crab legs or claws
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 1 small carrot, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups (960 ml) water
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) dry sherry (optional but recommended)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional for warmth)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional for subtle heat)
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 8 oz (225 g) fresh or frozen lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
- Fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped for garnish
Instructions:
- In a large pot, combine crab shells, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes to extract maximum flavor.
- Strain the stock carefully through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean pot or bowl. Discard solids.
- In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add finely diced onion and celery; sauté until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
- Pour in the sherry and simmer for 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add the strained crab stock back to the pot.
- Season with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne if using. Bring to a simmer.
- Let the mixture simmer gently for 10-15 minutes to meld flavors.
- Using a blender or immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Return to the pot if using a stand blender.
- Stir in heavy cream and gently warm through, do not boil once cream is added.
- Fold in the crab meat and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated but not tough.
- Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with chopped fresh chives or parsley.