Snow Crab Bisque

Crab bisque is a classic and luxurious recipe that is quite easy to make. Snow crab is the perfect crab choice because it has a softer shell, making it easier to crack and remove large pieces of meat. A rich homemade stock helps infuse the flavor throughout the dish and maximizes every bit of crab. Serve the bisque with some fresh crusty bread for dipping and a side salad for a light lunch or dinner meal.

Recipe Variations

Snow crab is called for in the recipe, though other types of crab such as Dungeness would work as well.

If you prefer to cook without alcohol, the white wine can be left out of the stock and replaced with an additional cup of stock in the bisque.

Equipment

What you Need

How to Make the Dish

Shell the crab. Break apart the crab legs at the knuckles and use a shellfish cracker to crack the legs. A clean pair of sharp kitchen shears can also be used to cut the soft side of the larger leg pieces. Pry open the shell and remove the meat. A shellfish fork or small cocktail fork can help remove the meat. Be careful as the edges of the shell can be sharp! Store the crab meat in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Make the stock. In a large stockpot, sauté the vegetables and crab shells in the butter. Add the white wine, tomato paste, salt, and enough water to cover the shells and simmer into a rich stock. Strain into jars and discard the shells and vegetables.

Build the bisque. Heat the butter in a saucepot and sauté the vegetables and seasonings. Stir in the garlic and flour before deglazing with the wine and adding the tomato paste and prepared crab stock. Pureé the bisque and stir in the cream and crab meat before serving.

Additional Tips:

Any extra stock can be frozen in ice cube trays or mason jars and used in another soup recipe or as the cooking liquid for rice pilaf to add additional flavor.

It works well to shell the crab and make the stock the day before you would like to serve the bisque. If you are going to wait longer than a day in between the steps, it is best to freeze the crab meat and stock separately to maintain freshness.

When shelling the crab, the meat can be divided into small bits to stir into the bisque, and larger pieces to use as the garnish.

Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 90 minutes for the stock, 30 minutes for the bisque
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 4

For the Stock

• 2 pounds snow crab, shelled and meat reserved for later
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Bisque

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups homemade crab stock
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 12-16 ounces snow crab meat (from 2 pounds crab legs), divided
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley (optional)

1. Shell the crab and set the meat aside in the refrigerator. To make the stock, heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add the butter, onion, celery, and crab shells. Sauté for about 5 minutes while stirring occasionally until the onions turn translucent.
2. Stir in the white wine, tomato paste, and salt. Add enough filtered water to cover the shells and vegetables by at least ½ inch.
3. Simmer for 1-2 hours or until the stock has visibly reduced and turned a deep red color.
4. Carefully strain the stock, pour into mason jars, and discard the shells and vegetables. Use immediately or allow the stock to cool before storing it in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
5. When you are ready to make the bisque, heat a heavy bottom 4-quart pot over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter melts, add the onion, celery, old bay, and salt and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.
6. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for another 3 minutes until a paste is formed.
7. Add the white wine and tomato paste and stir to combine. Allow the wine to reduce by half. Stir in the crab stock and simmer until the onions and celery are tender, and the broth begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
8. Carefully transfer the bisque mixture to a blender and blend on high for 45 seconds or until completely smooth and creamy. Make sure the blender lid is vented to allow steam to escape while blending.
9. Return the bisque to the pot and stir in the heavy cream and half of the crab meat. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the bisque is warmed through.
10. Transfer the bisque to serving bowls and garnish with the remaining crab and mined parsley and serve immediately. 

AUTHOR PROFILE

Marisa Kerkvliet of Lemon Thyme Kitchen is a freelance recipe developer and food photographer with a Master’s degree in Nutrition. She was raised on her family’s farm in Northwest Washington and her appreciation for good food developed at a very early age. She is passionate about creating recipes and beautiful imagery that highlight high-quality seasonal ingredients. Marisa loves all types of seafood, but her favorites are salmon and scallops!