Lowcountry She Crab Soup
She crab soup originally came on the scene in South Carolina in the 1700s, when Scotch-Irish settlers would make a bisque using milk or cream, crab and rice. Some historians say that the rice was added to the recipe in South Carolina, since the state was a major rice producer at the time. Over time, French and Creole influences tweaked the original recipe, adding various ingredients to give it a thicker consistency. In the early 1900s, William Deas, a chef and butler to then-mayor of Charleston R. Goodwyn Rhett, added a cluster of crab roe to the recipe, which completely altered the look, taste and texture of the dish.
Adding the roe is what turned this traditional Scotch-Irish dish into what is now known as she-crab soup. The roe is also what gave she-crab soup its name, since roe can only be collected from female crabs.
4 servings
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 ½ cups half and half cream
4 teaspoons finely-grated onion
¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and white pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest (rind)
1 ½ pounds flaked blue crab meat*
¼ cup crab roe**
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon finely-chopped, fresh parsley leaves
*If you live in parts of the country where blue crab is not available, other types of crabmeat, such as Dungeness, snow, king or rock crab may be substituted to make Lowcountry she crab soup.
**Crab roe are the eggs harvested from the female blue crab. The addition of crab roe tints the soup orange and enriches its crabby flavor. Two crumbled, hard-cooked egg yolks may be substituted for the crab roe.
Instructions:
In a large, heavy pot over low heat, melt butter, then add flour and blend until smooth. Slowly add milk and half and half cream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook until thickened. Add onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, white pepper, mace, cayenne pepper and lemon zest. Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, add crabmeat and crab roe (or crumbled hard-cooked egg yolks) and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes (if the soup appears about to boil, remove the pan from the heat for a minute or so, then return). Remove from heat and add sherry, stirring to mix. Let sit for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
To serve, pour the she crab soup into individual heated soup bowls, dividing the crabmeat and roe equally into each bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe by Michelle Weaver