Lodge

Ingredients for Bisque

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5 pounds Louisiana gumbo crabs
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped and washed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons tumeric
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 2 gallons water 
• 1-1/2 cups Blonde Roux (recipe follows)
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• salt and white pepper to taste
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• Gulf crab claws or jumbo lump crabmeat, for garnish

Ingredients for Blonde Roux

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preparation Directions (video)

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. 
2. Crush gumbo crabs into small pieces with a rolling pin or a mixer with a paddle attachment.
3. Add crabs to pot and saute for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add onions, fennel, garlic, celery, tomato paste, tumeric, paprika, red chile flakes, and bay leave. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. 
5. Deglaze pot with brandy and add water. Bring stock to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes.
6. Strain soup through a fine strainer and return soup to a clean pot, reserving 1 cup. In a small mixing bowl, work 1/2 cup of reserved soup into half of the Blonde Roux; stir into soup. Repeat until all roux is incorporated into soup. Bring soup to a steady boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. 
7. Heat cream in a separate pot set over medium heat. Once cream simmers, Add to soup. 
8. Add salt, white pepper, and Tabasco. Garnish each serving of soup with crab claws or jumbo lump crabmeat. 
9. Serve immediately.

Preparation Directions for Blonde Roux

1. Heat oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium leat until it shimers.
2. Whisk in flour, taking care to remove lumps. 
3. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour begins to color, about 8 to 10 mninutes.