Dungeness Crab Bisque Recipes

Steps:

• For the Light Fumet (Fish Stock):.
• 1. Make the white mirepoix by mincing all vegetables. At a minimum, use onion, celery and leek. Parsnip and mushrooms are optional.
• 2. Combine sachet d'espices ingredients in cheese cloth, wrap and tie with kitchen twine for easy retrieval later.
• 3. Combine Fishbones, white mirepoix, and water in pot dangling the sachet d'epices.
• 4. Bring mixture to a simmer (DO NOT BOIL).
• 5. Skim the surface to remove floaties & scum.
• 6. Simmer for 45 to 50 minutes adding water as necessary so you end up with a gallon of stock.
• 7. Strain stock using a chinoise or cheese cloth.
• For the Veloute:.
• 1. Build a blonde roux using the melted butter and flour, cooking on med-low heat for 5 minutes, until it becomes straw colored.
• 2. Whisk or stir in half the fish stock making sure the paste has dissolved and a liquid has formed without any lumps. Stir in remaining stock.
• 3. Simmer until thickened. About 25 minutes.
• For the Soup:.
• 1. Wrap crab shells in a tea towel and beat them with a hammer to break them into small pieces.
• 2. Sauté the crab shells with the butter and onions.
• 3. Add garlic, paprika and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes -- don't burn the tomato paste!
• 4. Add brandy and deglaze. let brandy reduce to au sec (almost dry).
• 5. Add the veloute and simmer for 45 minutes. strain the bisque through a chinoise or cheese cloth.
• 6. Return the bisque to a simmer and add the already heated cream.
• 7. Adjust the seasoning with the S/P, old bay, tabasco and Worcestershire ( taste as you go on this step).
• 8. Add the crab meat and sherry immediately prior to serving.
• 9. If you want to impress your friends you can also make a Pernod Chantilly to float on top of your finished soup -- looks cool and tastes great --.
• For the Pernod Chantilly:.
• 1. Whip the cream to slight peaks and slowly add Pernod (or other anise flavored liquor such as Ouzo) and whip it in bowl with beaters until it peaks, float on top of soup and torch lightly.

Steps:

• Crabs: Depending on where you get the crabs they could be alive or preboiled.
• If they're alive, place the crabs in boiling water for 5 minutes (until red in color). Remove from pot and cool them in iced water (quick cool). With your thumb and index finger pry open the head, remove innards and save. Under running water wipe clean the head area.
• Crab innards: In a blender add the innards with 1/4 cup of white wine, blend on pulse, strain, and save.
• In a pot on medium heat add olive oil, shallots, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns. Cook until light brown, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of wine. Add the blended crab innards, the canola oil, and the garlic salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Skim the top, remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. Whisk in the garlic puree and let rest.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the 2 crabs in a large oven-proof skillet, ladle the crab butter over them, (be generous) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Set the crabs on your serving dish, sprinkle with garlic salt, put the empty head shells back on (you can brush the shell with olive oil to shine) sprinkle. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Steps:

• If using live crabs, add to pot of boiling water using tongs. Cover pot and cook over high heat until crab shells are red, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain crabs in a colander.
• Put crabs (cooked or frozen uncooked) into a large metal roasting pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and pound shells with meat pounder to crush (including claws).
• Heat butter and oil in same pot over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then cook onion, carrot, celery, and garlic with bay leaf, thyme, clove, peppercorns, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add Cognac, wine, and crushed crabs and bring to a boil. Add broth and water and return to a boil. Skim foam, then simmer, covered, stirring and skimming occasionally, 1 hour.
• Put colander in a large bowl, then drain crab broth, reserving solids for crab butter (if making). Transfer broth to a medium saucepan.
• Ladle out 2 cups broth and transfer to a 1-quart saucepan. Add rice and simmer, covered, until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes (not all of liquid will be absorbed).
• Blend together rice with cooking liquid and 1 cup more crab broth in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then add to remaining broth in medium saucepan.
• Just before serving, reheat bisque over medium heat until hot, then stir in tarragon, lemon juice, cayenne, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
• Ladle bisque into bowls and spoon a little crabmeat into center, then drizzle with some of crab butter (if making).

Steps:

• Saute onion in butter. Add flour; cook and stir 1 minute.
• Gradually stir in chicken broth and half-and-half; cook and stir 5 minutes.
• Break crab into chunks; add to broth. Salt to taste. Heat thoroughly.
• Garnish with parsley.