Cream of Crab Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 bacon strips chopped
3 celery ribs chopped
1 onion (large) chopped
2 garlic cloves (small) minced
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup seafood stock or chicken stock
8 oz clam juice or seafood stock
2 cups half-and-half
salt
3 potatoes (medium) peeled and cubed
1 dried bay leaf
3 tablespoons parsley chopped
1 lb crab meat cooked or canned
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Directions
In a large stock pot, starting with a cold pan, add the olive oil and cook bacon over medium-low heat until crisp.
Raise the heat to medium, and saute the celery and onion in the bacon drippings until tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (around 30 seconds).
Stir in the paprika, dry mustard powder, nutmeg, pepper, and flour. Coat the onion mixture well. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
Slowly stir in the stock to combine with the flour and deglaze the pan, scraping off anything from the bottom of the pan then stir in the clam juice and half and a half until combined. Bring to a boil, and cook, occasionally stirring until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed.
Stir in the potatoes, bay leaf, pepper, and parsley. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the vinegar and most of the crabmeat, and allow to warm through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed before serving.
