Dungeness Crab Bisque | top

Makes about 1 gallon or 8 generous bowls

1 ¼ pounds fresh Dungeness crab meat
1 medium, yellow onion, coarsely chopped
¼ lb butter
1 cup chopped, roasted sweet red peppers
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
6 ounces pale dry sherry
1 Tablespoon paprika
¼ cup shrimp or lobster soup base
6 cups heavy cream
6 cups water
½ cup cornstarch mixed with 1 cup water
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
• Put onions, butter, roasted peppers and garlic in a heavy bottom soup pot. Allow the vegetables to “sweat” over medium heat until softened but not browned.
• Add sherry, paprika, soup base, cream, water & crab. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
• Puree in the pot with an immersion blender or transfer in batches to a stand blender and puree until smooth.
• Return to a slow boil then add the prepared cornstarch slurry to thicken slightly. It needs to boil after you add the slurry to it or the cornstarch won’t have thickened all of the way. It should have just enough body to it so that it coats your tongue.
• Season the soup to taste with salt & pepper and serve with a crusty roll & butter.

Crab Biscuits and Gravy | top

Makes 4 portions
Oven at 400

4 small russett potatoes
8 puff pastry squares, approximately 3"x3"
8 eggs
8 oz fresh dungeness crabmeat
2 cups crab bisque (see previous recipe)
butter, salt & pepper
finely chopped chives for garnish

wash and parboil russet potatoes until just cooked through, allow to cool then dice into 3/4 inch squares
put diced potatoes into a large ovenproof skillet, top with a few pats of butter, salt & pepper to taste and put into the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until nicely browned.
place puff pastry squares on baking sheet and put into the preheated oven with the potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until nicely browned.
warm crab bisque
cook eggs as you like them

to assemble finished dish: place two puff pastry biscuits on a plate, top with two oz of crabmeat, put 1/4 of the browned potatoes and two cooked eggs alongside the pastry & crab. Ladle 4 oz crab bisque over biscuits and potatoes then garnish with chopped chives.