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05-26-2011, 09:56 PM
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#1
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Assistant Cook
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: maryland
Posts: 47
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Maryland Crab Soup
Spicy Maryland Crab Soup
Soup needs love..it doesn’t take rocket science to make a soup, but to make a GOOD soup…it takes a little TLC. I loveeeeee soup.. and love to make soup, a good soup will please the soul!! Here is an homage to my love for soup making and some steps i took to strategically make a Maryland style, spicy-crab soup. I literally worked on this soup for 4 hours.
Before we start the breakdown of this soup… I had crabs for dinner and I brought home about a dozen that were left over… Also, about half way through picking the crabs, I stopped cracking open and eating the claws and was saving them to take home-already thinking about making crab soup in the future with the leftovers. So, I had a ton of claws and about a dozen crabs. Ive made crab soup before many times with leftover crabs and despite how much you think it would make sense… WASH the crabs completely off, so that no seasoning is left on them. I didnt do that the first time I made it and figured, the seasonings would just make it more flavorful…but it just makes it way to salty…
After washing the crabs off, take all of the tiny little legs and back fin legs and tare them off the body and reserve for the stock…when eating crabs, I will tip open the tiny legs to get some meat out, but after a day and you deal with it…the meat in the tiny legs arent worth picking and will just enhance the flavor of the stock. Also, the crab claws are worth picking! so, crack them open, remove the meat and keep the shells for the stock. By the end of this process you will have an abundance of crab shells, a good start of crab meat and then the whole intact bodies of the crabs..
OKAY! First! -For a good soup, you need a GREAT stock. Take what you have! If your making beef soup, trim the beef and use the trimmings to make a stock or chicken, use chicken bones to make a stock. For this, take excess crab shells and make a stock.. Take as many crab shells as you can, a standard mirepox-onions, carrots and celery, and some olive oil/butter and brown the veggies until translucent. Add water and boil and reduce!! -Add a little salt to enhance flavor. After letting it reduce down for quite a while, strain it through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth… I had a not so fine strainer, so I had to strain it a half dozen times to get all the shells and veggies out. Since this is strained, there is no need to pay close attention to how you chop the veggies-no brunoise or fine dice here, just chop them so they can fit in the pot. Put the veggies in first with the oil/butter to brown off, and then add the shells after that…sear as much as you can to bring out flavor without burning and add water to it.
Now that the stock is ready, get ready to get down. For this, have your items in place- mise en place. I like to add: Corn, Lima Beans, Fresh Green Beans, Parsley, Carrots, Celery, Yellow Onion, Garlic, Chopped Tomato’s. Also, have tomato paste, tomato sauce and I usually keep a back up of stock just in case I need to add it to help the flavor become bolder or to thin out if it becomes too thick.
Now, in a large pot, take onion (fine dice), carrots ( I usually just thinly slice them and leave round, but to show off knife skills, take your pick of large dice or battonet) and thinly sliced celery. I try to cut the celery and onions as thin and fine as I can, so they almost blend in to the soup. I brown these off until translucent…as much as I can and not burning.. Then add tomato paste, a spoonful or two.. this gives it a deep rich rustic color. Stir and add your stock! While you are getting this soup started, I blanch my fresh green beans because they stay pretty firm. After I add the stock, I add in the rest of the vegetables and some tomato sauce. Since its a soup, you dont want it to be too thick… so keep an eye on how much tomato sauce you add.. Bring to a boil.
Once it has boiled, reduce to a simmer and season to taste. Taste, adjust. Taste, adjust. Taste, adjust. Taste, adjust. get a friend to taste…evaluate their opinion.. and continue to taste, adjust. I used- Old Bay seasoning, paprika, cayenne, coriander, onion powder, salt, pepper, chili powder. Then, add the crab meat. Bring back up to a boil for a min. and settle it back down. Let it sit on low heat for a while, THE LONGER IT SITS, THE MORE FLAVOR DEVELOPS.
When you see the crab meat start to turn darker in color…you know the soup has really developed that crab flavor.
DONT REFRIGERATE UNTIL FULLY COOLED DOWN AT ROOM TEMP!!
Now, you should have a flavorful soup!
I eye balled the amounts of ingredients used..as in the amount of carrots, onions, celery, green beans, lima beans…mess around with it until you get a feel for it!
Hope this is useful and interesting to ya and helps you in the future!
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05-27-2011, 05:44 AM
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#2
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Executive Chef
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: SE Pennsylvania
Posts: 4,655
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you got it right! That is awesome :) While crab bisque is nice, Maryland crab soup with its tomatoes and other veggies and good load of spice is a party in you mouth. This is a staple of Chesapeake cuisine.
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05-27-2011, 06:32 AM
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#3
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Master Chef
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 6,443
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I remember one of my aunts making her soup with freshly cleaned raw crabs. I also remember the "garb" my uncle was decked out in to do the live crab cleaning. 
Craig
__________________
Emeralds are real Gems! C. caninus and C. batesii.
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06-02-2011, 08:19 PM
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#4
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Executive Chef
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Southeast Kansas
Posts: 4,414
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Great pics!
__________________
Eat, Drink, Laugh and be Happy.
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06-02-2011, 08:45 PM
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#5
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Chef Extraordinaire
Site Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 25,042
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Dang, I'm licking the computer screen again!
__________________
She who dies with the most toys, wins.
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06-02-2011, 09:02 PM
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#6
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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Enough about the MD crab! No--I'll get you back with the various ways we eat walleye in MN when I get to the Lake in August...
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06-03-2011, 01:59 AM
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#7
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: My mountain
Posts: 21,539
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this sounds a lot like my manhattan clam chowder but using the more delicate crab.
copied and saved, thanks erik. nice pics.
i need to make a pot o' fresh crabs in light tomato sauce soon, as well as this soup.
__________________
The past is gone it's all been said.
So here's to what the future brings,
I know tomorrow you'll find better things
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06-03-2011, 11:34 AM
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#8
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Master Chef
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Maryland
Posts: 7,341
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Mmmmmmm.. Maryland Blue Crab..... mmmmmmm.
__________________
Quoth the chicken, "Fry some more."
AB - Good Eats: Fry Hard II
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06-03-2011, 11:39 AM
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#9
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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Keep rubbing it in...
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06-03-2011, 07:03 PM
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#10
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Master Chef
Site Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Chesapeake Bay
Posts: 9,894
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I am really thinking it might be time for getting a dozen or so soon....
Gotta love some MD blue crabs...
__________________
"First you start with a pound of bologna..."
-My Grandmother on how to make ham salad.
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06-03-2011, 07:48 PM
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#11
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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You are soooo cruel. I did a project for a company in MD a few years ago...ate so much crab when I was there...so good. My dad did stuff for the Naval Academy--he always brought home MD blue crabs,...oh, soooo good, but walleye could be a throw down <g>.
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06-03-2011, 09:00 PM
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#12
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Master Chef
Site Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Chesapeake Bay
Posts: 9,894
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Never had walleye I don't believe...
I can live with that as long as I know I can go get more crabs. 
__________________
"First you start with a pound of bologna..."
-My Grandmother on how to make ham salad.
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06-03-2011, 09:46 PM
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#13
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Chef Extraordinaire
Site Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 25,042
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by CWS4322
You are soooo cruel. I did a project for a company in MD a few years ago...ate so much crab when I was there...so good. My dad did stuff for the Naval Academy--he always brought home MD blue crabs,...oh, soooo good, but walleye could be a throw down <g>.
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CW, I will back you on the walleye. Fresh caught, to die for. Love the crab too.
__________________
She who dies with the most toys, wins.
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06-04-2011, 05:19 AM
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#14
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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Let's not forget to mention the ultimate walleye treat--walleye cheeks!
I emailed my cousin (again) last night to remind him our family wants the cabin in August...Lake of the Woods is home to great walleye fishing...An afternoon out on the Lake and you can come home with a stringer of fresh-caught walleye...I have a picture somewhere of me around the age of 4-5 kissing the first walleye I caught...Newfoundlanders may kiss the cod, but Minnesotans kiss the walleye <g>.
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06-04-2011, 05:24 AM
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#15
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankZ
Never had walleye I don't believe...
I can live with that as long as I know I can go get more crabs. |
Walleye is sweet, succulent, and firm. If deboned properly, has no bones. We use a scalpel to debone it.
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06-04-2011, 05:30 AM
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#16
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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Yes--there are other freshwater fish one can catch...sunfish, catfish, northern, perch, sturgeon (a close cousin to walleye)...but when you can catch walleye, you catch and release the others and go for the gold <g>. And shore lunch of walleye is probably the best picnic lunch you can have...course, you have to catch the walleye first.
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06-04-2011, 06:41 AM
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#17
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Master Chef
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 6,443
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Um, fresh caught yellow tail with blue crab stuffing!
Craig
__________________
Emeralds are real Gems! C. caninus and C. batesii.
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06-04-2011, 06:53 AM
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#18
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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There you go again on rubbing in that you have access to crab...throw down, a walleye taco will beat your crab stuffing.
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06-04-2011, 11:33 AM
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#19
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Chef Extraordinaire
Site Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 25,042
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by CWS4322
Let's not forget to mention the ultimate walleye treat--walleye cheeks!
I emailed my cousin (again) last night to remind him our family wants the cabin in August...Lake of the Woods is home to great walleye fishing...An afternoon out on the Lake and you can come home with a stringer of fresh-caught walleye...I have a picture somewhere of me around the age of 4-5 kissing the first walleye I caught...Newfoundlanders may kiss the cod, but Minnesotans kiss the walleye <g>.
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Love and miss Lake of the Woods! The Ontario side was my childhood summer home. Forgot about the term " shore lunch". We called it cooking on the rocks. Mmmmmm.
__________________
She who dies with the most toys, wins.
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06-04-2011, 11:39 AM
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#20
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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Been both sides--my folks had a place on the ON side for about 10 years--rocks. Whereas the cabin my grandparents owned was sandy beach. Walleye didn't seem to care if it was on the CDN/US side! We caught more northern on the CDN side, more perch on the US side.
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Maryland Crab Soup
Erik.f.Dowell
[B]Spicy Maryland Crab Soup[/B]
Soup needs love..it doesn’t take rocket science to make a soup, but to make a GOOD soup…it takes a little TLC. I loveeeeee soup.. and love to make soup, a good soup will please the soul!! Here is an homage to my love for soup making and some steps i took to strategically make a Maryland style, spicy-crab soup. I literally worked on this soup for 4 hours.
Before we start the breakdown of this soup… I had crabs for dinner and I brought home about a dozen that were left over… Also, about half way through picking the crabs, I stopped cracking open and eating the claws and was saving them to take home-already thinking about making crab soup in the future with the leftovers. So, I had a ton of claws and about a dozen crabs. Ive made crab soup before many times with leftover crabs and despite how much you think it would make sense… WASH the crabs completely off, so that no seasoning is left on them. I didnt do that the first time I made it and figured, the seasonings would just make it more flavorful…but it just makes it way to salty…
After washing the crabs off, take all of the tiny little legs and back fin legs and tare them off the body and reserve for the stock…when eating crabs, I will tip open the tiny legs to get some meat out, but after a day and you deal with it…the meat in the tiny legs arent worth picking and will just enhance the flavor of the stock. Also, the crab claws are worth picking! so, crack them open, remove the meat and keep the shells for the stock. By the end of this process you will have an abundance of crab shells, a good start of crab meat and then the whole intact bodies of the crabs..
OKAY! First! -For a good soup, you need a GREAT stock. Take what you have! If your making beef soup, trim the beef and use the trimmings to make a stock or chicken, use chicken bones to make a stock. For this, take excess crab shells and make a stock.. Take as many crab shells as you can, a standard mirepox-onions, carrots and celery, and some olive oil/butter and brown the veggies until translucent. Add water and boil and reduce!! -Add a little salt to enhance flavor. After letting it reduce down for quite a while, strain it through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth… I had a not so fine strainer, so I had to strain it a half dozen times to get all the shells and veggies out. Since this is strained, there is no need to pay close attention to how you chop the veggies-no brunoise or fine dice here, just chop them so they can fit in the pot. Put the veggies in first with the oil/butter to brown off, and then add the shells after that…sear as much as you can to bring out flavor without burning and add water to it.
Now that the stock is ready, get ready to get down. For this, have your items in place- mise en place. I like to add: Corn, Lima Beans, Fresh Green Beans, Parsley, Carrots, Celery, Yellow Onion, Garlic, Chopped Tomato’s. Also, have tomato paste, tomato sauce and I usually keep a back up of stock just in case I need to add it to help the flavor become bolder or to thin out if it becomes too thick.
Now, in a large pot, take onion (fine dice), carrots ( I usually just thinly slice them and leave round, but to show off knife skills, take your pick of large dice or battonet) and thinly sliced celery. I try to cut the celery and onions as thin and fine as I can, so they almost blend in to the soup. I brown these off until translucent…as much as I can and not burning.. Then add tomato paste, a spoonful or two.. this gives it a deep rich rustic color. Stir and add your stock! While you are getting this soup started, I blanch my fresh green beans because they stay pretty firm. After I add the stock, I add in the rest of the vegetables and some tomato sauce. Since its a soup, you dont want it to be too thick… so keep an eye on how much tomato sauce you add.. Bring to a boil.
Once it has boiled, reduce to a simmer and season to taste. Taste, adjust. Taste, adjust. Taste, adjust. Taste, adjust. get a friend to taste…evaluate their opinion.. and continue to taste, adjust. I used- Old Bay seasoning, paprika, cayenne, coriander, onion powder, salt, pepper, chili powder. Then, add the crab meat. Bring back up to a boil for a min. and settle it back down. Let it sit on low heat for a while, THE LONGER IT SITS, THE MORE FLAVOR DEVELOPS.
When you see the crab meat start to turn darker in color…you know the soup has really developed that crab flavor.
DONT REFRIGERATE UNTIL FULLY COOLED DOWN AT ROOM TEMP!!
Now, you should have a flavorful soup!
I eye balled the amounts of ingredients used..as in the amount of carrots, onions, celery, green beans, lima beans…mess around with it until you get a feel for it!
Hope this is useful and interesting to ya and helps you in the future!
3 stars
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