Crab Stew

4.95 from 19 votes

This crab stew recipe is warm and full of flavor from a homemade seafood stock. It’s well balanced by the sweet-salty flavor of crab and seafood.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 569kcal

Author: Karishma Pradhan

Equipment

Fine mesh sieve for straining the stock

Ingredients

8 ounces crab legs pre-cooked and thawed
1 small onion finely chopped, peels saved for the stock
1 small carrot finely chopped, peels saved for the stock
4 cloves garlic finely minced, peels saved for the stock
1 small fennel bulb finely chopped, fronds and tougher bits saved for the stock
½ cup dill finely chopped, handful of stems saved for the stock
⅛ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 cup clam juice
2 cups water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
½ cup dry white wine such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc
8 ounces waxy, creamy potatoes such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
⅔ pound raw seafood, such as white fish and/or shrimp cod and halibut are great fish options; cut the fish into 1-inch chunks | if using shrimp, peel and devein the shrimp and cut into bite-sized pieces (reserve the shells for the stock)
1 large egg yolk room temperature
¼ cup heavy cream room temperature

For serving:

Warm crusty bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
A dollop of creme fraiche, skyr, or greek yogurt optional

Instructions

Make the stock:

Twist apart the sections of the crab leg into individual segments*. Use seafood or kitchen shears to cut through the shell down the middle of each leg segment (or a crab cracker). Open each shell fully to reveal the meat, then use a fork to extract the meat.
Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces then set aside (you will use the meat for the stew). You should have about 4 ounces of crab meat. Tear or crack the crab shells in half.
In a medium dutch oven or pot set over the stove, add the onion peels, carrot peels, garlic peels, fennel fronds, ½ cup dill, ⅛ teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 1 cup clam juice, 2 cups water, and crab shells (and optional shrimp shells).
Bring stock to a boil and skim any scum from the surface of the pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid darkens significantly to a deep golden-brown color.
Strain stock through a fine mesh sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the solids. You should have just about 2 cups liquid; if you have less, add additional water to make 2 cups stock.

Make the crab stew:

Wipe the stock pot clean, then add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and set to medium heat.
Saute 1 small onion, 1 small carrot, 4 cloves garlic, and 1 small fennel bulb for 11 - 13 minutes until soft and translucent. Season with salt and black pepper.
Add ½ cup dry white wine and bring to a boil. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking until liquid reduces by half.
Add the reserved homemade stock and 8 ounces waxy, creamy potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are mostly cooked through and can be pierced with a fork, but still have some give (about 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the cream-egg mixture. In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg yolk and ¼ cup heavy cream together until smooth and homogenous (no lumps should remain). Set aside.
Reduce the heat of the pot to a simmer, and gently stir in the reserved crab meat and ⅔ pound raw seafood, such as white fish and/or shrimp. Simmer until the crab meat is warmed through and the other seafood is cooked, about 2 minutes. Fish should be opaque in color, while the shrimp should turn pink.
Turn the heat off (this prevents the egg from curdling). When the stew is still hot, but no longer bubbling, slowly stir in most of the dill and the cream-egg mixture until combined. The fish is delicate, so be gentle when stirring. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide stew among serving bowls, topping with extra dill and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with warm crusty bread. If desired, dollop each bowl with a bit of creme fraiche, greek yogurt, or skyr.

Notes

* Use a crab cracker and a seafood fork/lobster pick. If you've worked with crab before, you might already have the tools for the job. Use a crab cracker and seafood fork. Certain crabs, like jonah crabs, have a harder exterior, so they're much easier to open with a crab cracker. Don't have any special tools? Use kitchen shears and a regular fork.

Storage: Cooked, thawed crab should last 3 - 4 days in the fridge. Leftover crab stew will last up to 3 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Reheating: Because the chowder has dairy, you will need to reheat it in a double boiler to prevent any curdling. The fish has a tendency to flake apart when reheated. It's still delicious, but I don't recommend making the full recipe ahead of time for presentation purposes.

Make ahead: Having a dinner party and looking to make this crab stew ahead of time? You can make the stock up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. You can also saute the aromatics and boil the potatoes in the reserved stock prior to their arrival. Just before serving, cook the seafood, then stir in the herbs and dairy.

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