From Barb Seely
Ingredients
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 3 drops Tabasco sauce
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp. dry sherry
- 1 pound lump crab
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
Sauté celery, onion, and garlic in butter until translucent, but not brown. Add flour, stir for a minute until it is absorbed. Add other ingredients except for crab and cream. Bring to a good simmer for three minutes, reduce heat to a low simmer and add crab and cream. Keep at a very low simmer until hot. Taste for seasoning, sometimes more salt is needed. Serve, or let cool and refrigerate covered until the next day. This is one of those recipes that benefits from a day in the the fridge to develop the flavors.
Note on crab: I’m loyal to blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) for this recipe. Wegmans carries it in their seafood area under the Pontchartrain Blues brand. If this isn’t available, look for another wild caught American brand.
One More Note: if you triple the recipe, you only need 2-lbs of crab, not 3. You probably could use 1-lb crab for doubling the recipe.