Charleston She Crab Soup: Regional Cuisine At Its Finest

The signature dish of Charleston, South Carolina is Charleston she crab soup. This dish is a common featured item on numerous city restaurants. Signature dishes can be related to an individual chef or they can instead be related to a particular culinary region, such as Charleston.

"She-Crab" soup is named for the female crab because it is the source of the main ingredient for the soup, the flavorful orange roe, or eggs. A rich combination of cream, crab meat, roe (eggs), and a splash of sherry, makes this soup the culinary favorite of Charleston, South Carolina. It was the supposed sweeter meat from the female crab, that was responsible for the dish depth of flavor and beautiful pale color that gave the soup its name, but it was actually the addition of her red-orange roe that created the flavor and color.

Now a days, roe is not harvested in an ecological effort to preserve the supply of crabs. Is it still Charleston she crab soup (http://www.gullahgourmet.com/) if there's no roe? The answer is yes and no. The heart of the recipe is unchanged. But when you can, prepare with roe, and relish every precious spoonful. You will find some differences, but purists know the basic recipe is the true Southern tradition.

It's imperative that you use fresh crab meat. Anyone who catches crabs on their own, this recipe calls for around twelve. If you find a mass of miniscule reddish-orange beads inside the shell of a female crab, you've hit the jackpot. The beads are what is called roe, and should be removed with great care. Add it to the soup the same time you add the crab meat. If you see any roe on the outside of the shell, that female crab should be released back into the water.

Heat olive oil in a medium, heavy bottom sauce pan. Add onions, garlic and celery, fry until translucent and well done. Once the vegetables are cooked, deglaze the pan with some sherry. Lastly, add the crab roe, bay leaf and shellfish stock and simmer on low fire for 15 minutes.

After you add the milk, allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes. Then, keeping it on simmer, add the rice and cook until the rice softens up. Next, add hot sauce to taste, Worcestershire sauce, and mace. Take out the bay leaf and then use a blender to puree. Once smooth and thick, strain the soup using a fine sieve. Finally, add crab meat and season with salt and pepper.

If you want to end up with the best she crab soup (http://www.gullahgourmet.com/), you have to be certain to use the finest crab meat. You shouldn't even bother shelling the inexpensive sort or lump since it is always too soft. The little eggs have a lot of saltiness to them too, so you don't want to include a large amount of the roe. It will stay usable if you freeze it in a well fastened plastic bag.

About The Author The signature dish of Charleston, South Carolina is Charleston she crab soup (http://www.gullahgourmet.com/). This dish is a common featured item on numerous city restaurants. Signature dishes can be related to an individual chef or they can instead be related to a particular culinary region. If you want to end up with the best she crab soup (http://www.gullahgourmet.com/), you have to be certain to use the finest crab meat. You shouldn't even bother shelling the inexpensive sort or lump since it is always too soft. It will stay usable if you freeze it in a well fastened plastic bag.