Spinach, Crabmeat and Brie Soup
Just the other day, I was flipping through an old cookbook when out fell a recipe from the food section of the Times-Picayune, New Orleans’ daily newspaper. The clipping, which obviously had a few years on it, was a recipe for Crabmeat & Brie Soup from The Dakota, a suburban New Orleans restaurant. I had a vague recollection of that recipe and a similar one involving brie from Flagons A Wine & Bar Bistro. (Flagons was another great New Orleans restaurant that closed many years ago.) I remember wanting to borrow a couple of ideas from these two recipes to create my own version of crab soup, but never got around to it. So, I spent the next few hours digging through binders and folders in search of the Flagons recipe. I finally found it. The recipe was included in an article written by a local food editor in 1991. Although it’s taken me 20 years (ouch), I’ve finally created my own version of crabmeat and brie soup. Hope y’all enjoy it!
Spinach, Crabmeat and Brie Soup Recipe
Print Recipe
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup brandy
6 cups seafood stock
2 cups light cream
8 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and cubed
3 cups fresh spinach, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 pound crabmeat (backfin or lump)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Salt to taste
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Sprinkle in flour, whisking constantly, until a blond roux is achieved, about 6-8 minutes. Add onions and garlic. Sauté 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Carefully add the white wine and brandy (you may want to remove the pot from the stove before adding the alcohol). Whisk constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan, until most of the alcohol has evaporated. Gradually whisk in seafood stock. Add light cream. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until reduced by one-third. Add brie; stir constantly until cheese melts (it helps to smash the cheese cubes against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon). Gentle fold in spinach and crabmeat. Cook an additional 3 minutes. Add cayenne, black and white peppers. Season to taste with salt. Serve immediately. Serves 6 by bowl or 12 by cup.
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