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Basic Crab Stock

Editor's note: Use this crab stock to make Chef John Besh's Basic Crab Pan Sauce for his Busters and Grits recipe.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 6 cups

Ingredients

1

/4 cup canola oil

1

onion, coarsely chopped

1

stalk celery, coarsely chopped

1

carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1

leek, white part, coarsely chopped

4

cloves garlic, crushed

1

pound crab shells

1

bay leaf

1

sprig fresh thyme

1

teaspoon black peppercorns

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the canola oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Cook the onions, celery, carrots, leeks, and garlic, stirring often, until they are soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add the chicken bones and carcass, the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and 3 quarts water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface, until the stock has reduced by half, about 2 hours.

    Step 3

    Strain through a fine sieve into a container with a cover. Allow the stock to cool, cover and refrigerate, then skim off the fat. Freeze the stock in small batches to use later.

Reprinted with permission from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh., © September 2009 Andrews McMeel Publishing