This bisque pairs crab, mushrooms
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, February 15, 2007
Snohomish reader Becky Marshall recently told us her favorite version of seafood bisque (a recipe she got years ago from Buffy somebody on a TV show) had gone missing, and asked if Forum cooks could possibly come up with a suitable replacement.
Jean Kroeze, Arlington cook and frequent helper-outer, is the first and only (so far, at least) one of us to rush to the rescue.
“I looked through my cookbooks for recipes for lobster and crab bisque that Becky Marshall asked for,” she writes, “and found several different versions. Some have cream, while others have canned soup.
“I hope these may be helpful. It looks like you have to dig through old cookbooks for this type of recipe.”
Jean has sent us four different possibilities, so let’s start with one that’s local. Contributed by Walayn Requa, it appears in a 1979-1980 copy of “Here’s What’s Cookin’,” a cookbook compiled by the Assistance League of Everett.
Crab meat and mushroom bisque
6tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
4tablespoons minced onion
4tablespoons minced green bell pepper
1scallion with top, chopped
2tablespoons chopped parsley
1cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2tablespoons flour
1 1/2cups milk
1teaspoon salt
1/8teaspoon pepper
1/4teaspoon ground mace
Dash Tabasco sauce
1cup half-and-half
1 1/2cups cooked crab, or 2 packages (6 ounces each) frozen crab, thawed
3tablespoons dry sherry
In medium skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter; add onion, green pepper, scallion, parsley and mushrooms and saute until vegetables are soft but not brown; remove pan from heat and set aside.
In large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted; remove pan from heat. Stir in flour, then gradually add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Stir in salt, pepper, mace and Tabasco. Add sauteed vegetables and half-and-half; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add crab meat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Just before serving, stir in sherry.
Makes 4 servings.
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