Award-Winning Maryland Cream of Crab Soup

This recipe is credited to Ms. Charlese Smith and is the Grand Prize Winner in the Soup Division of the 53rd Annual National Hard Crab Derby held in Crisfield, MD. It is very rich - not a diet soup!! I make this with one cup grated onion sauteed in the butter until very soft to start, before adding the milk and cream, but I didn't want to add that below as this is the original recipe.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 10-12
• Yields: 1 pot soup

Ingredients

• 1  pint  whole milk
• 1  quart half-and-half
• 2  pints heavy whipping cream
• 1  lb jumbo lump crab meat (only from Maryland will do!)
• 1  tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 3  teaspoons  Old Bay Seasoning
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
•  cornstarch
•  water
•  dry sherry, to taste

Directions

1. Bring milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream to a boil. Add crab meat, fresh parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, butter, salt and pepper. When it starts to boil, make a paste of cornstarch and water and add to thicken soup.
2. To serve, sprinkle each serving with a bit of Old Bay and chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers and a small cream pitcher of sherry on the side for diners to add to taste. That's how we do it in Maryland!