King Crab Bisque

Christmas Eve, we returned home from visiting family to find a package at our door from FishEx.com. We opened it to discover a dozen gigantic king crab legs. I've never seen crab legs this big in my life! They were well over a foot long each and several inches wide.

After stuffing ourselves with this succulent crab meat for days, we needed a change. I was craving a rich bisque with a nice sherry flavor to it. Here's a recipe I worked from.

King Crab Bisque: Recipezaar
http://www.recipezaar.com/King-Crab-Bisque-195554

Recipe #195554 25 min prep time

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I added additional 1/2 teaspoon)
3/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper (I added additional 1/2 teaspoon)
2 garlic cloves, minced (used forzen garlic cubes)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups 2% low-fat milk (I used whole milk)
1 lb king crab meat (I added and extra 1/4 pound of meat)
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3 tablespoons sherry wine (I added an extra 1 1/2 tablespoon)

Directions
In a large sauce pan add olive oil, onions, celery and garlic. Heat on medium until onions are translucent. Add butter and melt, then add flour, salt and pepper and make a roux.
Once the rue is golden brown add the milk and cream; blend well. Crumble crabmeat and add to the sauce pan. Slowly bring mixture to a boil and simmer for a few minutes.
Add the sherry and serve garnished with parsley and a dash of paprika.


Notes: I added an extra ½ teaspoon of salt and ground black pepper plus 1 ½ tablespoons sherry. I used two frozen garlic cubes which I melted into the butter before adding the flour. I also sprinkled a teaspoon of paprika on top of the soup while still in the pot.