LITMIR.BIZ

       Crab bisque

       A bisque is a gorgeous rich creamy soup made using fish, shellfish or meat. This crab bisque is fab — the sweetness of the crab meat is lightened ever so slightly by the tomatoes and ginger. You can either buy cooked crab meat or to cook your own (see below). Serve the soup as a starter or for lunch with crusty bread.

      SERVES AT LEAST 6

      50g (2oz) butter

      1 onion (about 200g/7oz), peeled and chopped

      Salt and ground black pepper

      400g (14oz) cooked crab meat from 2 medium–large crabs (white and brown meat if possible)

      100ml (3½fl oz) dry white wine

      2 tsp peeled and finely chopped root ginger

      600ml (1 pint) Crab or Prawn/Shrimp Stock (see opposite) or fish stock

      200g (7oz) chopped fresh or tinned tomatoes

      100ml (3½fl oz) single or regular cream

      1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat, then add the onion with some salt and pepper and cook for 6–8 minutes or until the onion is softened but not browned.

      2 Add all the remaining ingredients apart from the cream and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes or until the tomatoes are completely soft.

      3 Remove the saucepan from the heat and whiz the soup in a blender. Reheat gently if necessary and stir in the cream, season to taste and serve immediately with some crusty bread.

      COOKING A CRAB

      1 First place the crab in the freezer for a couple of hours so that it is unconscious before boiling. To cook it, place in a large saucepan, cover with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 1.2 litres (2 pints) of water and bring to the boil.

      2 Simmer on a medium heat for 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) and then pour off about two-thirds of the water, cover with a lid and continue to cook for a further 6 minutes. To check to see if the crab is cooked, gently shake it quite close to your ear and you shouldn’t hear liquid splashing around. Remove the crab and allow to cool.

      3 Once the crab has cooled, remove the large claws and crack these (using a heavy weight or nut crackers), then extract every bit of meat using the handle of a teaspoon. Retain the shell if making dressed crab or stock, otherwise discard all of the shell. Turn the body of the crab upside down and pull out the centre portion.

      4 Discard the gills, known as ‘dead man’s fingers’, each about 4cm (1½ in) long. Scoop out all the lovely brown meat and add it to the white meat from the claws. The meat can be used immediately or frozen for future use.

      NOTE: 450g (1lb) of cooked crab in the shell yields approximately 175–225g (6–8oz) crab meat.

      Crab or prawn/shrimp stock

       If you have any shells left over after preparing and eating shellfish such as crabs, prawns or shrimps, then use them to make this shellfish stock. It can be used for the Crab Bisque (opposite) as well as the Ballycotton Prawn Soup. Stock can easily be frozen in small portions to be used whenever you need.

      MAKES ABOUT 1.2 LITRES (2 PINTS)

      1 litre (1¾ pints) crab, prawn or shrimp shells

      1 glass of dry white wine

      1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped

      1 stick of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped

      1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

      2 tbsp tomato paste

      A few sprigs of parsley

      1 small bay leaf

      6 whole black peppercorns

      1 tsp salt

      1 Place the shells in a saucepan, cover with 1 litre (1¾ pints) of water and bring to the boil.

      2 Add the remaining ingredients, bring back up to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer (but do not boil) for 30 minutes, skimming off any foam that appears on the surface. If you are making crab stock, it is necessary to simmer the shells in a pan covered with a lid for 20 minutes.

      3 Pour through a fine sieve or through muslin and use immediately or either keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours or freeze for up to 1 month.

      RACHEL’S TIP

      If you are using large crab shells, first break them up slightly by placing them in a thick plastic bag and bashing them with a rolling pin or even a hammer.