Crab Soup

Ingredients

• 3 medium Hard-shelled crabs (Cleaned and quartered)
• 4 cups Water (For White Stock III)
• 1 pound Chicken bones (For White Stock III)
• 0.5 medium Onion (For White Stock III, roughly chopped)
• 1 Celery stalk (For White Stock III, roughly chopped)
• 1 medium Carrot (For White Stock III, roughly chopped)
• 1 Bay leaf (For White Stock III)
• 6 Peppercorns (For White Stock III, whole)
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt (To taste)
• 2 tablespoons Butter (Optional, for richness)
• 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour (Optional, for thickening)
• 0.25 cup Heavy cream (Optional, for richness)
• 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley (Chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1In a large pot, combine the chicken bones, water, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Season with salt to taste.
2. 2In a large pot, bring the prepared White Stock III to a simmer. Add the cleaned and quartered hard-shelled crabs. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the crab meat is cooked through.
3. 3In a separate small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the hot crab stock until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot with the crab and stock. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the soup has thickened slightly.
4. 4If desired, stir in the heavy cream. Season with additional salt to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.