I have a photo of Don "Doc" Thornton making his excellent crab soup. When I moved to Baltimore, Doc was one of the first people I met. He was like the younger brother I never had in that he was fun to be around, was very protective of people in his life, and could be a hot mess when left unsupervised. Doc was an excellent musician, and I miss playing my bass with him. He had a lot of interests and talents which included making crab soup. One thing that helped him out was that he could pick a crab faster than anyone I've ever met. Doc was chosen family for me. He died instantly in a motorcycle accident.
Doc's soup started from his mother's recipe. It was good soup, and Doc could eat it hot or cold. This recipe improved it, which made him quite proud. I've never had better crab soup!
After eating blue crabs, pick out a couple of cups of crab meat to refrigerate until it is used for the soup. While picking, collect the back shells, legs and anything inedible for a stew pot. We would put celery leaves and cut an onion to add to the stock. Leave the seasonings, etc. Cover the shells with water and bring to a boil. Then simmer for several hours.
Once several hours (like 4 or more) have passed, drain the shells and debris from the liquid stock. It can be further strained using mesh or cheesecloth, if desired.
Using a strainer is a huge help. Discard shells.
Taste the stock. Doc would generally add a heaping tablespoon of Beef Better-Than-Bouillon, a diced potato or three, some okra, a package of frozen mixed veggies, a bit of finely diced onion and celery, and a bit of spicy V-8. (Doc's mother used several cans of Beef Vegetable soup.)
I have even added a handful of cabbage slivers. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are done. Give the broth a taste and adjust seasonings and salt. (Doc used Old Bay. I see no reason to muck with perfection.) Skin the soup, if needed.
Add in the picked crab and stir into the soup. Let simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve!
Need something else to go with it? It pairs well with Doc's shrimp Salad. (This really is his mother's recipe unchanged.)
Shrimp Salad:
This is easy to make, keeps well in the refrigerator, and travels well.
Dice a three or four green onions, a large bell pepper, a cucumber, and sprinkle liberally with celery seed. One can also use a stalk or two of celery instead of celery seed if desired.
Remove the shells and any dark veins from a pound or two of steamed shrimp.
Roughly chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces or a bit smaller if you want to eat the salad on a sandwich.
Add Old Bay, mayo and mix well. Chill until you are ready to eat it if you intend to use it for wraps or sandwiches.
Add pasta and a bit more Old Bay and mayo if it is to be a stand-alone salad. It keeps well for picnics if kept chilled or will keep well for multiple days in the refrigerator. Very tasty.
I do think of Doc whenever I make either. Two of my favorite recipes and I never would have had them if Doc were not part of my life.
