Crab Bisque

bisque, originally uploaded by Kim De.

YEA! I was allowed to cook one meal at my moms. I wanted to make it special, tasty and FATTENING (it IS the holidays after all)! Well, I got two out of three...

I chose crab bisque. A treat. Treats are allowed to be nice and fattening, except this wasnt! I found a recipe from Cooking Light that looked amazing, but wouldnt completely be “heart attack in a bowl”. Pretty good deal!

Of course, the recipe you see below is “inspired” by the recipe I found. I found several places where I thought changes were in order. Judging from the ohhs and ahhs at the table, I was right. Always fun is when I cook for another cook, and tonight my brother in law was in attendance. He is a great cook. Oh, and he does the dishes. My sister is quite lucky! He loved it, and to a passionate cook, that is all I need!

Creamy, crabby – perfect for a cold and rainy night in Indiana!

Merry Christmas!

Crab Bisque

Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 4 large)
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
3 cups fat-free milk
1 cup clam juice
1.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives


Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in sherry; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Add salt, peppers, and crab meat.

Combine milk and clam juice in a large bowl. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Whisk flour into milk mixture; add to pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.

Stir in cream; cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Top soup with chopped chives, more red peppers and Tabasco to taste.

TIP: Great with a crusty multi-grain bread, roasted asparagus and wine.