My astrological sign is Cancer. The
crab. I really don’t know much about the whole astrology thing, but
I read that we are supposed to be crab-like emotionally: we have
a tough exterior but a soft and sensitive interior. We have a little
suit of armor to protect us for when we could get hurt.
I guess that seems like me.
The funny thing about the crab: I have
never been pinched by one in all my years of going in the ocean. Not
even in the Chesapeake Bay. As a result I have built up an irrational
fear of how scary and painful it must be to be bitten by one and am
very, very afraid of going into any salt water unless the water is
crystal clear and I can see all the way to the bottom. That and I
have the same issue with jellyfish. So you can only imagine the army
of monsters I fear are lurking around any part of my submerged body
in the abyss that is The Ocean.
The other thing about crabs and me is
that I love to eat them. I can very vaguely remember sitting on the
end of a pier on the Chesapeake Bay with newspapers spread carefully
on the wooden planks replete with fresh, steamed crabs yanked right
from the water. I must have been really young, maybe 6 years old. I
can’t recall if I was with a Mom or a Dad group of people. I just
remember the metal crab pot that was brought up from the water,
brimming with live crabs, steaming them on site, and eating them with
our hands - making a huge mess. I remember how free it felt to give
into the mess and how fresh and wonderful those little buggers
tasted.
I have never done that since. But I do
eat a lot of crabs. I particularly like the steamed Alaskan king crab
leg with grain mustard butter and toast at Hungry
Cat. I love crab cakes. I’m not a big fan of soft-shell
crab, though. About 10 years ago, when I was living in Atlanta, I
visited a friend who was working at Watershed for
lunch. I had a memorable hangover. She brought me a soft-shell crab
sandwich. I don’t rattle easily in the food department but this
looked like an alien spider, or something from Starship
Troopers, crawling out of a bun. I’ve never been able to hang
with them since. Clearly I blame the hangover.
I had a pile of crabmeat leftover from
the red pepper soup garnish and didn’t want it to go bad. And as I
had a relatively light real work day, I thought I’d find
something fun to do with it. And as you guys must know by now,
my brain will beeline straight to soup.
I was remembering the fated soft-shell
crab sandwich that day and thinking about how huge Watershed is
today. The chef, Scott
Peacock, is a major player in the Southern food world and was
very close with one of my heroes, Edna
Lewis (who also made a lot of she crab soup in her day)! So,
of course I started missing the South again, y’all.
The choice quickly became clear: the
she-crab soup, a recipe heralding from Charleston, South Carolina -
an unabashedly Southern mecca. I prepared this soup, but re-imagined,
with a California twist. It
was like Ghost meets Manchurian Candidate. With a heart. In the right
spot.
I am actually more proud of this soup
than I’ve been of anything I’ve made in some time. Partially
because I made it entirely from the hip. Or maybe because it
was so pretty. But most likely because it was simply divine.
The soup is a cross between a bisque
and a chowder. It is creamy, rich and elegant with a delicate and
smooth texture. It was also Soupy
Sales’ favorite soup.
And hey, I promise I’ll try to bond
with my fellow crabs this Summer and get into the ocean at least
once, and maybe even all the way… Perhaps they have never hurt me,
and never plan to, as I am one of them. I just won’t let them know
that I’d eat them right there if I could.
She-Crab Soup,
Re-imagined, with Avocado-Crème Fraiche Puree
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flaked crabmeat
½ cup dry sherry
2 Tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, peeled &
chopped
¼ cup of flour
1/2 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
(Avocado-Crème Fraiche
Puree)
½ avocado
1 Tablespoon crème fraiche
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in food processor
until smooth and creamy.
DIRECTIONS
Marinate crabmeat in the sherry and
refrigerate for about an hour.
Sauté shallot, thyme, and garlic in
butter until soft, approximately 15 minutes. Add tomato and cook on
medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.
Add flour and chicken stock, whisk
until smooth, and cook on medium high heat for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and add milk, Worcestershire, lemon zest, and
cayenne pepper.
When somewhat cool, puree the soup in a
blender. Note: If using an immersion blender or food processor you
will need to strain and press the soup through a chinois or sieve.
Return to pot on medium low heat. Add
cream, and crab with sherry and cook for about 20 minutes longer.
Salt & pepper to taste.
Serve with a dollop of the avocado
crème fraiche puree, and a crust of bread.
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