Makes 7 cups, 6 first-course servings
- 3 tbsp Roux
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup minced onions
- 1 cup uncooked corn, scraped from about 2 ears
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp minced celery
- 1 cup crab stock or fish stock
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp liquid crab boil
- ½ lb (about 1 cup) lump crabmeat, pickd over for shells and cartilage
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Prepare the Roux, set aside 3 tablespoons, and refrigerate the rest for future use.
Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and corn and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and celery and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the stock, salt, pepper, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
Stir in the milk, cream, and crab boil. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Whisk in the Roux 1 tablespoon at a time until thoroughly incorporated into the soup. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, whisking until the mixture thickens.
Stir in the crabmeat, green onions, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.
To serve, ladle 1 generous cup of the bisque into each of the 6 soup plates.
Note: liquid crab boil can be purchased at many specialty food stores.
Source: Emeril’s New Orleans Cooking, Emeril Lagasse & Jessica Tirsch, 1993, William Morrow and Company, Inc.