crab soup — France

This crab soup is a cream-based preparation in which crab meat and shells are used together to build flavour: the shells are simmered to make a stock, and the picked meat is folded back in near the end so it keeps its texture rather than breaking down. It is reported from France, where this kind of shellfish soup sits within a wider family of coastal cream soups built the same way, and it is also referenced in Germany under the same name, each version keeping its own place and its own way of being cooked without either one standing as the reference point for the other. To prepare it, crab shells and trimmings are sautéed with onion, carrot and celery, then deglazed with a splash of brandy or white wine and simmered with fish or shellfish stock and a little tomato paste until fragrant. The liquid is strained, thickened lightly, and finished with cream, then the picked crab meat is stirred in just before serving. What marks this version is the use of brandy in the base and a fine, smooth strain that leaves the soup silky rather than chunky, seasoned with a touch of cayenne or paprika and fresh herbs such as thyme or chervil, and usually brought to the table with croutons or crusty bread.