BON APPETIT'S TOMATO-BASIL CRAB BISQUE, ADAPTED

Bon Appetit published this recipe in its August 2003 magazine. The ratings on epicurious.com were pretty high with nice compliments for the recipe. So I thought I would try it. The Crab Guy ate his bowl, but said it had a vinegar taste. I couldn't finish mine. I theorized it was the ketchup, and I was right. I made the soup a second time -- a half batch -- leaving the ketchup out. I also reduced the lemon juice and added a bit more chicken broth and half and half to further mellow out the soup. It was delicious with those changes. The half batch is enough for two large servings, or 4 small ones.   Another bonus: this is a fast one. You can have it on the table in a half hour or less.

Bon Appetit's Tomato-Basil Crab Bisque, Adapted Half Recipe

Rating: 9 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

4 oz. crabmeat + 2 oz. for garnish

1/4 cup chopped tomato with juice (fresh or canned)

1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup Clamato juice

1/2 cup fat-free half and half (or heavy cream if you prefer)

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 scant teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

dash of hot pepper sauce

scant 1/2 cup water

1 tsp. lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Melt butter in 2-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 4 oz. crabmeat, tomato, basil and garlic. Saute` about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour; stir 2 minutes. Whisk in Clamato juice, half and half, broth, Old Bay and pepper sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Cool soup slightly. Puree soup with immersion blender until smooth.  Stir in water and lemon juice; bring to simmer. Taste to adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Divide soup among serving bowls (2 large or 4 small). Sprinkle with remaining crab and serve.

YUMMY PUMPKIN-CRAB SOUP

This is a really great crab soup recipe. Well, maybe I'm partial, because I love pumpkin soup. The recipe is simple, easy and quick.
This is one you must try!

Yummy Pumpkin-Crab Soup
Rating: 10 out of 10

3 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread (or butter)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 cups roasted butternut squash (canned pumpkin may be substituted)1 tsp. sea salt
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup fat-free half and half (Land o'Lakes recommended)
2 cups crab meat, picked over for cartilage and shells
For Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

In a large heavy skillet or stock pot, heat the onion in the SB over medium heat till wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cover; reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes, till onions are soft. Sprinkle with curry powder; cook an additional minute, then add squash and salt and stir together. Puree in a blender; pour into a saucepan with the broth; cook over medium heat till almost boiling. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt if needed. Add cream, half and half and crabmeat; reduce temperature and just heat through, about 5 more minutes. Garnish each serving with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Yield: 4-6 servings

COPYKAT RED LOBSTER'S CRAB BISQUE

Sometimes less is more. At least, with this recipe. It's a copykat version of Red Lobster's Dungeness Crab Bisque. I used blue claw crabmeat, but this year is the best for crabs. Our blue claws are so flavorful and meaty this year, that even I am liking them, and I don't particularly care for crabs. This recipe is so easy and fast, it almost feels like cheating. And the Crab Guy gave it a thumbs up -- way up. He rated it 9 out of 10. Coming from someone as picky as he is, that's a high rating. Thanks to secretrecipes.blogspot.com for this one.

Red Lobster's Dungeness Crab Bisque Recipe, adapted
Rating: 9 out of 10
INGREDIENTS: 1 Tbsp. minced onion
2 Tbsp. butter (I used Smart Balance buttery spread)
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half (I used Land o'Lakes fat-free)
1 lb. crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
Sea salt, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley

Saute onion in butter. Add flour, cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in chicken broth and half and half; cook and stir 5 minutes. Break crab into chunks; add to broth. Salt to your taste. Heat thoroughly. Garnish with parsley. Yield: 4-6 servings

HARBOUR HOUSE CREAM OF CRAB SOUP

This recipe is from Harbour House restaurant, Annapolis, Maryland. And we all know that Maryland is famous for its crabs, crab recipes and restaurants serving crabfood. I haven't tried this one yet -- if you do, please leave a comment and let us all know how it turned out.

Harbour House Cream of Crab Soup
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp. pepper
5 cups milk (how about Land o'Lakes fat-free half and half?)
1 lb. backfin crabmeat, cartilage removed
Salt, to taste (Possibly consider adding some ground nutmeg & cayenne pepper)


Melt butter in 3-quart heavy pot. Blend in flour and stir until smooth. Slowly stir in chicken broth and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes. Add milk and cook slowly, stirring constantly until thickened. DO NOT BOIL. Add crabmeat and salt to taste; heat through. Yield: about 10 cups

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND CRAB SOUP, ADAPTED

Recently, we ate at Christoph's, a new restaurant in the Sheraton Grand in downtown New Bern. Someone in our party ordered the Butternut Squash Crab Soup, and I tasted it. It was beyond heavenly. So now I want to experiment with crab soups and work my way towards finding one that is as good as Christoph's. This recipe comes courtesy of Gail L. Harris and
Allrecipes, where it was rated 5 out of 5 by 24 members. With a rating that high, I thought I had to try it, especially since I had 6 red peppers sitting in my fridge (they were on sale, naturally).
I didn't have cayenne pepper, which the recipe called for, so I used my friend Sara's ground Thai peppers. When I tasted the soup, it was just a little bland, so I upped the salt and Thai peppers and added a little fresh grated nutmeg and paprika. We both liked this soup, but if Christoph's soup was a 10 out of 10, this was an 8 out of 10. 8 out of 10 is pretty good, but I'm still searching for the best crab bisque recipe.

Roasted Red Pepper and Crab Soup, adapted
INGREDIENTS:
2 red bell peppers
10-1/2 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
1 small potato, peeled, chopped
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne or other ground hot pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I used McCormick California style, with parsley)
About 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil + leaves for garnish
1/4 tsp. grated fresh nutmeg
1/8 tsp. paprika + extra for sprinkling on top
1/3 lb. fresh crabmeat, cartilage removed
1-1/3 cups fat-free half and half (Land o'Lakes, only, because it won't curdle.)

Roast red peppers: Wash them and place them on a hot (400-425F) charcoal grill, turning as they blacken. (Alternately, you can broil them in your oven, turning them as they blacken.) As soon as the peppers are blackened all around, place them in a paper bag, or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, and let them steam for approximately 10 minutes to loosen the skins. (You can also skip this step and substitute jarred roasted peppers.) Peel the skins and discard. Coarsely chop the peppers and place into a large saucepan along with the chicken broth and chopped potato. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the seasonings. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or till everything is quite tender and cooked through and flavors have blended.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (Or, if you're lucky enough to own an immersion blender, puree the soup right in the pot.) Pour the soup back into the pot and stir in the crab and the half and half. Heat over medium heat to warm through, about 5-10 minutes.
Garnish each bowl of soup with a sprinkling of paprika and some basil leaves.
Yield: 2-3 servings
Note: The original recipe serves 6, and I made 1/3. Click on the Allrecipes link above to find the original recipe and the reviews.