CREATED A CENTURY AGO AT EVERETT’S RESTAURANT in Charleston, South Carolina, by the black chef William Deas, she-crab soup is not only the quintessential dish of the Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry but the true queen of all Southern soups. And if you think debate is hot over the correct way to prepare Kentucky burgoo, Creole gumbo, and Virginia Brunswick stew, you should hear the pundits on the topic of this silky, subtle, orangish, sherry-laced delicacy made traditionally with the flesh and coral roe of female blue crabs. Should the soup be thickened
with flour, puréed rice, or heavy cream? Can chopped hard-boiled egg yolks be substituted when crab roe is not available? (Roe can often be found bottled in specialty food shops.) Is it permissible to include Worcestershire sauce, grated nutmeg, or cayenne pepper? I do agree that crab roe is almost essential to round out both the flavor and texture of the soup, but beyond that, I continue to be eminently satisfied with the recipe my family and I finally acquired years ago at a restaurant called The Sea Captain in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina. (Its sibling still exists in Myrtle Beach, but the soup’s not the same.) And, oh yes, I do like at least a tablespoon of sherry in my bowl of she-crab soup. One warning: don’t try to make this soup in a regular saucepan over direct heat, which could result in
overheating and scorching.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter
• 2 small onions, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
• 1⁄2 cup crab roe
• Dry sherry to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter over low direct heat.
2. Add the minced onions to the melted butter and cook, stirring, until they are just soft (about 2 minutes).
3. Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the butter and onion mixture, stirring until the mixture thickens.
4. Place the pan over the bottom of the double boiler, which should be half-filled with boiling water.
5. Slowly add 1⁄2 cup of the milk to the mixture, stirring continuously.
6. Once the milk is hot, add the heavy cream, nutmeg, white pepper, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk.
8. Remove the pan from the hot water and stir in the cornstarch mixture.
9. Return the pan to the double boiler and cook the mixture until it is hot, approximately 5 minutes longer.
10. When ready to serve, add the crabmeat and crab roe to the soup. Heat the soup thoroughly over boiling water.
11. Lightly sprinkle each serving of the soup with dry sherry before serving.