Charleston She-Crab Soup
A rich, sherry-laced cream soup built on blue crab meat and roe, a signature dish of Charleston's old-line restaurants.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •Saucepan
- •Whisk
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 30
- carbs
- 12
- protein
- 18
- calories
- 410
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Saute the onion until it is soft.
- 2
Whisk in the flour and cook 1-2 minutes to make a light roux (a paste of cooked flour and fat).
- 3
Slowly whisk in the seafood stock. Whisk in the milk and cream, stirring constantly so no lumps form.
- 4
Simmer gently over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir the soup often.
- 5
Add the mace, salt, and white pepper.
- 6
Gently fold in the crab meat and roe. Heat until warmed through, but do not let it boil.
- 7
Stir in the sherry right before serving.
- 8
Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with a splash of extra sherry.
Chef's tips
Use female blue crabs with roe when possible for the classic orange color and flavor. You can crumble in hard-cooked egg yolk as a substitute for roe.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Reheating
Warm gently over low heat, stirring, without boiling to prevent curdling.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the cream base, which can make it separate and curdle
- •Using imitation crab, which lacks the authentic sweet flavor
Serving suggestions
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