River House She-crab Soup

We think this hearty soup is best served steaming hot with a splash of sherry and garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg and freshly ground black pepper.

Yield: Makes 9 cups

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  butter
• 1/4  cup  olive oil
• 1  yellow onion, chopped
• 1  fennel bulb, chopped
• 4  celery ribs, chopped
• 2  carrots, chopped
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
• Pinch of curry powder
• Pinch of ground turmeric
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2  cup  dry sherry
• 5  cups  clam juice
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh tarragon
• 2  cups  heavy cream
• 2  pounds  fresh crabmeat, drained and picked
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Melt butter with oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.

Stir in flour and next 5 ingredients; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add sherry and clam juice; stir until well blended. Stir in parsley and tarragon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until reduced to 4 cups.

Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a separate bowl or pan, pressing on solids with a spatula; discard solids. Return soup to Dutch oven; stir in cream. Cook over medium heat 25 minutes or until soup is thickened. Add crabmeat; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.