Light, spicy crab soup

Name: Light, spicy crab soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: En
Ingredients: 4 cups *Crab Stock; 6 ounce can white crab meat; 1 teaspoon chopped chives or green onion; 1 bay leaf; 1 pinch Old Bay Seasoning (optional); salt and pepper to taste

Starter

Easy

2 h 5 m

Ingredients

4 cups *Crab Stock
6 ounce can white crab meat
1 teaspoon chopped chives or green onion
1 bay leaf
1 pinch Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preparation5 min

Cook time2 hours

Heat 4 cups crab stock in a sauce pan. Add one 6 oz. can of white crab meat, 1 small bay leaf and 1 tablespoon minced chives or chopped green onion; simmer until hot. Depending on how spicy you've made your crab stock, you may choose to add a pinch of Old Bay Seasoning, to taste. Makes 2 bowls, or 4 cup-sized servings. OPTIONAL: If using a larger, 16 ounce can of lump crab meat, then heat at least 8 cups of crab stock, and double the chives or green onion.
CRAB STOCK
Ingredients:
2 lbs crab shells (tomalley, optional)
2 quarts water
1 medium-large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1.5 cups chopped tomatoes, or 1 15 oz. can
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 dry Bay leaves
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher or Sea Salt, to taste
Crab Stock Directions:

1.) Place picked-over crab shells (and tomalley, if using),- excluding heads and top shells, which are flavorless - to 6-8 quart stock pot. Boil. Skim foam from surface and discard.

2.) Add chopped celery, onion, cloves, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns to pot. Cook at a steady simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt, and taste for strong flavor. If necessary, continue cooking for another 20 minutes.

3.) Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve, or use double-layer of cheesecloth for a sieve with wider mesh. Chill quickly, until ready to use.
OLD BAY SEASONING - HOMEMADE

Ingredients

1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
6 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole cardamom
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
4 whole cloves
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

Add all ingredients to a spice grinder, and buzz. Store in a small sealed jar.

When seasoning crabs for coking, add a 50:50 proportion of coarse salt.

Note: A cleaned coffee grinder may also be used to grind spices