Crab bisque is a rich soup made with blue hard crabs and often includes butter, milk, and cream. It is a signature dish in Charleston, South Carolina. Crab chowder is made with blue crabmeat and includes Worcestershire sauce, ground mace, and cayenne pepper. Dry sherry and blue crab roe are added as finishing touches.
Crab bisque is often compared to bisque because it is a rich soup that is thick and divine enough for many. Made with blue hard crabs, this American dish is usually pale but may have a yellow or orange hue due to some seasonings. Crab roe is placed on top of the soup as a side dish after it is placed in the appropriate serving dish, if a traditional recipe is being followed. Butter, milk and cream are often included in the recipe, making this dish generally unsuitable for those who are lactose intolerant.
This soup is often found on menus in the southern coastal states of the United States (USA). This is especially true in Charleston, South Carolina where it is considered a signature dish. Crab bisque is believed to have been inspired by Scottish settlers.
The star ingredient in crab chowder is blue crabmeat. A female crab is a female blue crab that has not reached sexual maturity. When female blue crabs are sexually mature, they are called a soak. While specifically using crabs may once have been important, this is no longer the case, as the sex of the crabs is rarely considered.
One reason is because in many cases the crab meat used to cook this dish is plucked and packaged, with the male, crab and soaked meat all being together. The trend of using packaged crabmeat is particularly popular in restaurants. In areas where the availability of blue crab meat is limited or lacking, some people make crab chowder with the meat of other types of crabs.
The remaining ingredients in crab chowder are items considered to be quite common in areas where the dish is popular. Preparation generally begins with butter and flour blended into a roux. After this the milk and cream can be added and brought to a boil. This mixture must be smooth before adding other ingredients. To do this, a lot of stirring may be required; a whip is generally suggested to facilitate the activity.
There are a number of ingredients added to provide the unique flavor of crab chowder. These include Worcestershire sauce, ground mace and cayenne pepper. White pepper and salt are also typically added along with grated onions. Crabmeat is usually added last.
Once the soup is finished, two finishing touches will be added if a traditional recipe is followed. Dry sherry can be added to the whole pot or to individual bowls. Blue crab roe, which is bright orange, is usually placed on top of the soup after it’s portioned. These provide both color and flavor. Crackers are commonly eaten with crab chowder.
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