Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp (56g) Unsalted high-fat butter
  • 2 medium Shallots, minced (40g)
  • 1/4 cup (30g) Celery, finely diced
  • 1/2 tsp (1g) Ground mace
  • 1/4 tsp (0.5g) White pepper
  • 4 tbsp (30g) All-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (480ml) seafood stock
  • 2 cups (480ml) Heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp (3g) Sea salt
  • 1 lb (450g) Fresh lump Atlantic blue crab meat
  • 2 tbsp (30g) Crab roe or 2 hard-boiled egg yolks, sieved
  • 3 tbsp (45ml) Dry Sherry
  • 1 tbsp Fresh chives, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Melt the butter in your heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat until it begins to foam and sizzle. Add the minced shallots and diced celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the shallots are translucent and fragrant, but do not let them brown.
  2. Sprinkle the flour, ground mace, and white pepper over the buttery vegetables. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes until the flour smells slightly nutty and looks like a pale paste. This cooks out the raw flour taste while maintaining the light color necessary for a bisque style.
  3. Slowly pour in the seafood stock, whisking vigorously to prevent any lumps from forming. Once smooth, pour in the heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Increase the heat slightly to medium and bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer until the liquid thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  4. Reduce the heat to low. Gently fold in the fresh lump crab meat and the sieved egg yolks (or roe). Be careful not to over stir; you want to keep those crab lumps as whole as possible. Let the soup sit for 5 to 7 minutes until the crab is heated through and the soup is steaming but not boiling.
  5. Just before serving, stir in the sea salt and the dry sherry. Taste the soup — the sherry should be a bright, aromatic note at the end of the palate. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and garnish with a generous sprinkle of fresh chives. Serve immediately while it's at its most velvety.