1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 Tbs. chopped garlic
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup dry sherry, plus 1 Tbs.
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1 Tbs. Tabasco
1 qt. heavy cream
1 lb. crabmeat
1/2 cup crab roe
Kosher salt and finely ground white pepper
In a six- to eight-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook for two minutes. Sift the flour into the pan to establish the roux. Cook, stirring often, for four minutes.
Add the wine, sherry, Worcestershire, water, and Tabasco and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream and bring to a brisk simmer. Stir in 3/4 of the crabmeat and all of the roe, then remove the pan from the heat. With a hand mixer or blender, puree until smooth and velvety. Stir in the remaining 1/4 of the crabmeat and the tablespoon of sherry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
From a West African-derived soup to a colonial dessert, cook up your own Very Charleston feast
