I’m just a girl who dreams of returning to her farm girl roots. No, I didn’t exactly grow up on a farm but my heart, from very early on, seemed to long for wide open spaces filled with chickens, pigs, and the like. Could be that my steady diet of “Little House On The Prairie” done went and vexed my mind. I’ve always said if there was a man who said he’d agree to living out the rest of our days working a small patch of land out in the hills of no where, I’d consider that a proposal fit for this farm princess’ idea of the perfect “pop the question” scenario. Saturday morning farm auctions, even the 
mention of one affects me similarly to that of a kid sleeping through their anxious thoughts on the night before Christmas. I am many people. “Country girl” is one of my peeps. I think an Amish country visit is in order for this forlorned girl. I’m working on it!
I like the beach but the fact that I enjoyed my visit at the fresh seafood market as much if not more than sitting beach side makes me believe I am indirectly appealing to the “country girl” in me. I love animals but the attraction to farming has less to do with my connection to them but rather the independence and self sufficiency of raising my own food. The basket of crabs awaiting purchase conjured little sympathy in me. In fact when they began charging me, claws snapping furiously, I wondered if he understood me when I told him he was about to meet his maker. Take that, crabby crabster! Lucky for him my recipe interests fill the quick and easy bill and the already prepared tub of lump crab meat sitting on the counter served my interests rather nicely.
This is the notorious she-crab soup I’ve made more time than I can count. The Outer Banks and all its restaurant inhabitants include this entree on their menu. I tasted my first rendition several years ago. 
It was then that I spent some more time than I should have to come up with the best recipe ever. If you’ve ever had this soup you’ll know how vastly different each recipe is from one chef to another. It’s either too thick, too rich, too much wine, never enough crab meat or just a plain gloppy mess of gue. Even though this soup is even better in the cooler months, it was still a treat in the unbearable heat.
Crab Bisque
By Published: July 26, 2011
- Yield: 8 Servings
- Prep: 10 mins
Creamy dreamy and totally delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lump crab meat
- 1/2 cup red wine I used merlot
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 stick butter
- 3 T. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 small red onion chopped
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese shredded
- 6 oz. cream cheese
- 8 oz. heavy whipping cream
- 32 oz. chicken stock
- red pepper flakes to taste
- parsley for garnish
- limes for garnish
Instructions
- In a large stock pan melt the butter and olive oil. Stir in the garlic, onions and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour. Saute’ for a minute. Add the cream and wine and whisk. Add the chicken stock. Allow to thicken and then add both cheeses. Stir til melted and then add the lump crab. Allow to heat through and serve.
