Virginia Beach She Crab Soup

Virginia Beach Creamy She Crab Soup

I LOVE She crab soup and have a bowl any time I can get it when we eat out. I’ve had many versions of this soup all over the east coast, a few places in Texas and California. I’m sorry folks, but no one makes She-Crab soup like the east coast does.

In 2004, Gary and I went to Waterman’s Restaurant in Virginia Beach, where we had the most delightfully tasty she crab soup. It is by far the best version I have ever had! So if you ever go to Virginia Beach, head south on Atlantic Avenue and visit Waterman’s! Everything they have is wonderful.

Unfortunately we were not able to get the recipe from the restaurant. Can’t blame them. So we’ve been trying to recreate it on our own the best we can. It’s under gone a lot of tweaking, but we’re getting pretty close. It’s not exactly the same, but we need to go back to the beach for another visit and another taste testing to figure out what we’re missing.

Here’s our current very tasty version so far.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Makes 4 -6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 quart milk (use whole milk)
• 1 teaspoon mace (sweet spice)
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups white crab meat (don’t use imitation!)
• 3 hard-boiled egg yolks  – crumbled into small pieces about the size of corn nibblets.

– For serving –

• 1 tablespoons dry sherry per bowl
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (whip before serving)
• 1 tablespoon paprika

Directions:

• Fill the bottom of a double boiler halfway with water. Bring to a low boil.
• Add the top pot to the bottom boiler and let it sit for about 1min to warm up.
• Melt the butter in the top of the double boiler, add flour and stir until smooth.
• Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until smooth.
• Add the white pepper, salt, crumbled egg yolks, Worcestershire sauce and mace.
• Mix well.
• Then add the crab meat and stir thoroughly.
• Cook over simmering water for 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally (about every 10 minutes).

Serve:

• Serve hot
• Place 1 tablespoon of warmed sherry in each of 4 or 6 soup bowls (depends on how many bowls of soup you want).
• Ladle the soup into bowls don’t mix it.
• Add 1 tablespoon of whipping cream on top of the soup.
  Whip the cream, use a large tablespoon, scoop the cream and gently place it on top of the soup in the bowl. Again, don’t mix it.
• Top with a dash of paprika, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Alternatives:

• You can exchange the:
  3 hard-boiled egg yolks, with 3 tablespoons of roe (fish eggs)
• You can use 1 teaspoon of sugar in place of the mace. (but it looses something in the flavor).
• You can use half and half to add thickness, instead of whole milk; but reduce the flour by 1 teaspoon.

Enjoy!

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