Chesapeake Bay Crab Picker's Soup

Chesapeake Bay Crab Picker's  Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion diced

1/2 cup diced celery

6 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 quart milk

1 pint light cream

3 cups canned tomatoes

pinch of baking soda

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound backfin crab meat

seafood seasoning

1/2 cup sherry

Directions:

Cook onion and celery in a 2-quart saucepan with butter until soft. Remove from heat and stir in flour smoothly. Return pan to heat and add milk a little at a time, stirring and cooking until the mixture thickens.

Add cream a little at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes, continuing to stir.
Strain tomatoes through a sieve into a bowl.

Add baking soda. Stir tomatoes and baking soda into cream sauce and season with salt and pepper.Add crab meat and seafood seasoning. Reheat slowly, stirring and adding sherry.

Serves 4 to 6.

Maryland Crab & Corn Stew

Maryland Crab & Corn Stew

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 pound backfin crabmeat

1 cup whole kernel corn

1 large tomato, peeled and chopped

1 medium green pepper, cleaned and chopped

few drops hot sauce

1-1/2 cups half and half

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley


Directions:

Put onion, potatoes, water, oregano, salt and white pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook slowly, covered, 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Mix in crab meat, corn, tomato, green pepper and hot sauce. Continue cooking 5 minutes. Add half and half and parsley. Leave over low heat long enough to heat through.

Serves 6.