She Crab Soup
She Crab Soup is a Charleston Original recipe. It was created in the early 1900's by William Dees.
As the story goes, Charleston Mayor R. Goodwyn Rhett was hosting President William Taft in 1909 at Charleston home and was looking for an impressive and unforgettable dish. It was up to Rhett's butler William Dees to craft that unique and delicious dish. And he did.
There was always a crab soup, but Dees enhanced the typical soup by adding the roe or crab eggs to the soup. The orange eggs added unbelievable flavor along with enhancing the appearance.
And therefore, Williams Dees is the inventor or creator of one of the dished that defines Charleston, She Crab Soup.
We also use a Roux when preparing our version of Mr. Dees soup. It's a French word derived from (beurre) roux, which translates to "browned (butter)". Use equal parts of fat and flour. Cook this mixture down to the desired brownness you will need. A roux is used to thicken sauces and soups.
The queen mother of sauces is made with a roux, a blonde roux. Then add milk to thicken, and you have the base for all types of flavorful sauces.
Another French culinary technique or method we use is a Mirepoix. A mirepoix (meer-PWAH) is a flavor base made from cooked, diced vegetables, usually with butter, oil, or other fat, for a long time on a low heat without coloring or browning. A typical mirepoix comtains diced celery, onions and carrots.
Dave's She-Crab Soup
2 Tbs Oil
2 Tbs Flour
4 Celery Stalks
1 Large Sweet Onion
4 Tbs Oil,( Coconut, Olive)
1 Qt Heavy 40% Fat Cream
1/2 Qt Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Seafood Stock, optional
Bundle Fresh Thyme & Long Leaf Parsley
4 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Hot Sauce
1 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2/3 Cup Sherry, )1 cup with no stock)
1 lb Crab Meat
Cooked Crab Roe
In a heavy bottom pot over medium, to medium-high heat, add 2 Tbs oil and 2 Tbs flour. This is the beginning of a Roux. This is a thickening agent that will help give our soup a little body. We will create a blonde or white roux. Cook until the roux just begins to turn color and gives off a little nutty aroma. Stir to keep from browning to quickly.
It's a French word derived from (beurre) roux, which translates to "browned (butter)". Use equal part of a fat and flour. You cook this mixture down to the desired brownness you will need. A roux is used to thicken sauces.
Using a grater, grate the washed celery stalks and the peeled sweet onion. This will help both the celery and the onion break down while cooking in the soup.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add 4 Tbs of oil and let the oil heat to a shimmering stage. Then add the celery and onion along with the liquid. Be careful when adding. Saute for about 8 minutes.
While the celery is sauteing, let's get back to our blonde roux. Add the cream and stock, if using, to the roux while whisking to combine. Let's take 4 Thyme and 4 Parsely stalk and tie together with a piece of butchers twine. Using a hard round object, like a bottle or jar, roll it over the herbs to lightly bruise, which will release the flavorful oil and will infuse our cream mixture a quickly. Bring the mixture back to a soft boil over medium heat. When the mixture comes back to a boil, this will be as thick as the roux will make or soup.
After the mixture comes to a soft boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the Worcestershire, hot sauce, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and sherry. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the crab meat and crab roe and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Spoon into a bowl, add a couple of large pieces of crab claw meat to the top, and drizzle with a little more sherry.
Enjoy...
Lobster Stock
3/4 Cup Chicken Broth
2 Lobster Tail Shells
Fresh Thyme Sprigs
2 Bay Leave
Small Onion chopped
2 Celery Stalks chopped
Salt to Taste
Pepper to taste
Place all in a pot and bring to a soft or low boil, Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Skim any foam that forms on top and discard. Strain the stock, and it's ready to use.
