Spicy Crab Bisque & Bread Bowls

I often get menu fatigue, especially at the Holidays. It seems like everywhere you go the same things are being served. And while they are all delicious, I can only eat so many Turkey dinners, lasagnas and salads, and steaks and potatoes.  

So let’s break up the monotony this holiday season with a Spicy Crab Bisque. Easily thrown together in one pot and ready in about 30 minutes, you can have this bisque ready to serve and wow your guests. Special enough to prepare for company, but easy enough for a week-night dinner. 

Grab your Dutch oven and start cooking! And don’t forget to make the Bread Bowls to go with it. 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 white onion, finely chopped

6 celery ribs with leaves, finely chopped                

2 carrots, finely chopped 

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

48oz  chicken broth

2 tablespoons mashed, roasted garlic

3 cups whole milk

1/4 cup sherry cooking wine

1 tablespoon ketchup

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

pinch of cayenne pepper

pinch of ground cloves 

1/4 teaspoon ground mace 

1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

Salt

Freshly ground pepper 

1 1/2 pounds lump crab or crab claw meat, or a combination of both

Bread Bowl for serving

Crystal or Tabasco hot sauce, for serving 

Freshly chopped parsley, for serving 

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves and cook over medium heat until softened, 5 minutes. Season vegetables while cooking liberally with salt and pepper.  Stir in the tomato paste, and spices, roasted garlic and saute while stirring occasionally to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot, about 8 minutes. 

Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is thickened and the vegetables are very tender, 15 minutes.

Add the sherry and ketchup and bring to a simmer. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in the milk and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, then add the heavy cream and the crab; simmer until hot. Serve in a bread bowl!

2 packets Active Dry Yeast (4 and 1/2 teaspoons)

2 and 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees) 

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt 

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

6 cups bread flour, spooned and leveled

Egg wash - one large egg beaten with 2 TBS whole milk 

Pour the warm water over the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a regular large mixing bowl. Whisk together and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. The mixture should be foamy after 5 minutes.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, do this step by hand. With the stand mixer running on low speed, add 4 cups of the bread flour, salt and oil, and on a low speed for 1 minute. Then add the remaining 2 cups of flour. Mix on low speed for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be thick but soft and slightly sticky. It should pull away from the bowl as it mixes. If you find it is too sticky, add more flour a at a time until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out into a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place into an oiled bowl, and turn once so the top of the dough is coated in oil. Then cover with a kitchen towel and place in a dark and warm place for 90 minutes, allowing the dough to double in size.

Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out into a lightly floured surface. Punch down again to release any more air bubbles if needed. 

Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut into 6 even pieces. Form each piece into a large ball. 

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 3 dough balls on each baking sheet. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Brush each dough ball with egg wash and using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, score an X on the tops of each ball. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool until they are easy to handle.

To serve, cut a large round out of the top of each bread bowl. Scoop out the center, and fill with soup. Save the scooped out bread to dunk in the soup. 

Enjoy!

-This bisque can be made up to 3 days in advance! Don’t add the crab meat until you’re ready to serve the soup, though. Just gently warm, add the crab, and serve!

-This recipe can also be used to make 24 dinner rolls or 3 large loaves of crusty bread. 

-Feel free to mix in any herbs and spices during the second addition of flour to incorporate a fun flavor profile to your bread!