What Makes She-Crab Soup Unique?

South Carolina is the Palmetto State for a reason. Known for its palm tree-studded coastline, it's not uncommon for people to grow up learning how to catch fish and crab. While it's not too difficult to find a little ghost or fiddler crab along the shore, you'll be in for a real treat if you're able to find an Atlantic blue crab. They're a beauty to behold — and eat. These big, blue crustaceans are a special part of the coastal diet in seafood boils and crabcakes, and they're the clear star of she-crab soup.

She-crab soup is a rich, creamy dish from the city of Charleston, South Carolina. What makes this dish unique from similar bisques is that it contains crab roe. These semi-translucent orange orbs are egg clusters found in female crabs. For instance, caviar is a salted type of roe from sturgeon associated with luxury dining. The "she" in she-crab refers to the fact that the soup uses parts from a female crab.

The irony of this dish is that the crabs in question would probably enjoy the soup's taste, too, as they sometimes consume their own newly hatched offspring. But seriously, there's more to this soup than meets the eye. The presence of roe sets it apart from crab bisque, which gets its warm color from tomato paste. After all, good meat needs the right counterparts to bring out its best qualities.

Once you buy the best sweet crab meat and umami roe, you'll be ready to add other ingredients to this Lowcountry classic  The foundational step of this recipe that will help determine its consistency is creating a roux by slowly adding half-and-half to the butter and flour mixture. If you can land the right thickness, then you'll have a stunner of a she-crab soup.

She-crab soup uses sherry as another important part of its recipe. Sherry is a common cooking wine that adds sweetness, while cheap varieties may add saltiness to your food. This simmers well with the Worcestershire sauce and aromatics like onion, celery, and garlic. Once the soup has reached its smooth, dense perfection, garnish it with scallion, paprika, pepper, and a little extra roe on top to serve.

She-crab soup is perfect for dipping your cornbread and biscuits into, but you can also lighten your dinner with a refreshing side salad. Southern cooking is all about comfort foods for working people and buying local catch like crab helps support fishers in the area. You always want to buy your seafood fresh, even for a humble soup.