Mirliton Crab Bisque

Soups & Stews

Serves 10 to 12 (about one gallon)

Recipe courtesy of Chef Ryan Hughes, Cafe Degas, New Orleans, LA

Ingredients:

3 Mirlitons, peeled and diced ¼ inch
1 large carrot, peeled and diced ¼ inch
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced ¼ inch
1 rib of celery peeled and diced ¼ inch
1/2 lb butter
1/2 lb flour
2 quarts crab stock or (fish bouillon cubes)
2 cups Sauterne (Riesling will work too),white wine
1 teaspoon liquid crab boil
1 bay leaf
1 ½ quarts heavy cream
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat (or crab claws)
Chopped parsley and paprika for garnish
Salt and white pepper for seasoning

Mirliton Crab Bisque

Click image to enlarge

Method:

Melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for 5 minutes as for white roux. Add celery, carrots and onions and cook another 5 min. stirring constantly. Pour in sauterne and whisk until flour is dissolved completely in mixture. Add crab base and bring to a boil and simmer for 15 min.

Simmer and whisk on low heat often!! Be careful not to scorch bottoom of pan. Strain mix into a clean pot and add heavy cream, mirliton, bay leaf and cook until mirliton is just barely tender. Season with salt and pepper and crab boil and maybe a little lemon juice (optional)

Serve in hot cups and garnish with crab meat or claw, parsley and paprika.