Partan Bree
A velvety Scottish seafood soup made with sweet brown crab meat, enriched with double cream and traditionally thickened with soft simmered rice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •Large saucepan
- •Stick blender
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
- •Measuring jug
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 20 g
- carbs
- 18 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 22 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat on the hob.
- 2
Add the short-grain rice and stir for one minute until lightly coated.
- 3
Pour in the fish stock and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
- 4
Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for twenty minutes until the rice is very tender.
- 5
Purée the cooked rice and stock using a stick blender until completely smooth and creamy.
- 6
Stir in the brown crab meat, ground mace, and a pinch of white pepper.
- 7
Pour in the warm milk and double cream, stirring continuously over low heat.
- 8
Add the white crab meat and gently warm the soup through without letting it boil.
- 9
Taste and season with sea salt and additional white pepper if needed.
- 10
Ladle into warm bowls and scatter fresh chopped parsley over the top before serving.
Chef's tips
Avoid boiling the soup after adding the milk, cream, and white crab meat, as this can cause the dairy to split and toughen the delicate seafood. For extra smoothness, pass the blended rice base through a fine sieve before adding the crab.
Ingredient substitutions
- brown crab meat → all white crab meat mixed with 1 tsp anchovy essence for savouriness
- fish stock → light chicken stock or mild vegetable stock
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat on the hob, stirring constantly without allowing it to boil.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the soup vigorously after adding cream, which splits the broth.
- •Under-cooking the rice before blending, leaving a gritty rather than velvety texture.
- •Stirring the white crab meat too aggressively, breaking up the sweet claw flakes.
Serving suggestions
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