Cognac Dungeness Crab Bisque

We're right in the middle of Dungeness Crab season here in the San Francisco Bay Area. What a treat!  Alex came came for the weekend before Thanksgiving and brought home 10 Dungeness after going fishing with some of his military fishing buddies.  Had so much fresh cooked crab that we were able to save two and freeze them.  Lucky us!

Last weekend it was cold and foggy here in Half Moon Bay, the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe and rescue the last crab from the freezer. Grabbed one of my favorite cookbooks, "Craving for Crab" by my friend Christine Quinn and thought we would give her Crab Bisque a whirl. What can I say?  This elegant, classic soup is beyond delicious! 

Adapted from Craving for Crab - Here's what you need:

• 4 Tablespoons of Butter
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Shallots
• 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (I like to keep the "tube" kind handy in my frig)
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. dried tarragon
• 1/8 ground cayenne pepper (or to taste if you like it a little "hotter")
• 1/4 tsp. smoky Spanish Paprika
• 1/4 cup Cognac (do not skip!)
• 2 Cups Crabmeat

Garnish:

• Sour Cream
• Smoked Spanish Paprika

1.  Melt the butter in a large deep saucepan over medium-high heat until it foams, then add the shallots. Stir and saute the shallots, then cover the pan. Reducing the heat to low, cook for three minutes. Then add the minced garlic cloves - cook for 1 more minutes (be careful not to burn!) then add your flour. Whisk it all in, continuing to cook for about 3 minutes.

2. Slowly add the chicken stock and cream. Stir well, then add the tomato paste, bay leaf, tarragon, salt, cayenne pepper, and smoky paprika.

3. Return the soup to medium-high heat and stir until it boils. Reduce the heat to simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add cognac and crab meat, stir to blend in well. Make sure to reserve a little crab meat chunks to use for garnishing too! (you could also substitute lobster if you like)

4. Cook for 10 more minutes on low-simmer

5. Serve in large bowls. I personally like using pasta bowls - they look a little more appropriate for a dinner meal. Garnish by adding a spoonful of sour cream in the center, pile on a few crab chunks then sprinkle on fresh chopped parsley. Finish with a final dusting of smoky Spanish Paprika. 

Serve with a green salad, garlic toasts and a buttery Chardonnay and you will instantly impress your guests (or your significant other!) with your gourmet skills. 

Enjoy!   

P.S Lots of new Blue Crab Stoneware Pieces in Stock now and ready to ship!