River House She-crab Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Pinch of curry powder
• Pinch of ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 5 cups clam juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 pounds fresh crabmeat, drained and picked
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Melt butter with oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.
2. Stir in flour and next 5 ingredients; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add sherry and clam juice; stir until well blended. Stir in parsley and tarragon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until reduced to 4 cups.
3. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a separate bowl or pan, pressing on solids with a spatula; discard solids. Return soup to Dutch oven; stir in cream. Cook over medium heat 25 minutes or until soup is thickened. Add crabmeat; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.