August 12th, 2009
Kent Island, The Narrows Restaurant, Cream of Crab Soup and The Narrows Crab Cakes…Not at my beaches, but definitely, by the water
Yesterday was a day spent in Baltimore, Maryland, or Charm City as it is also known. It was great seeing Powell and Louise, my in-laws. After such a nice visit we decided to head home to my beaches.
I get the feeling of home when I am crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Even though there is so much traffic this time of the year, you are still in wonder of how vast it is. And the other thought in my mind as I am crossing the bridge is crabs.
As you come into Kent Island, I would like to inform you that this is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay. To the east, there is a narrow channel called Kent Narrows and this channel barely separates Kent Island from the Delmarva Peninsula, where I live.
As I am driving yesterday, I remember how much I enjoy stopping at a restaurant called The Narrows. Their physical address is 3023 Kent Narrows Way South, Grasonville, MD 21638 and their telephone is 410-827-8113. If you are traveling on Rt. 50 or 301 take exit 42. It is one of the restaurants in that area where we stop if we are going or coming from Baltimore.
I have 2 recipes from The Narrows that were given some years ago, but I am not sure if, when chefs have changed, so have the recipes. Nevertheless, both of them are very good and here they are:
Cream of Crab Soup
1 lb. lump, or backfin crabmeat
1/4 cup grated onion
1 medium carrot, grated
2 tbsps. unsalted butter
2 tbsps. all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 tbsp. dry sherry
1 or 2 dashes of Tabasco
Salt (optional)
Garnish: 1 tbsp. chopped parsley and Dry Sherry
Remove any shells from crabmeat and set it aside. In a soup pot, soften the onion and carrot in butter over low heat. After vegetables have cooked about 10 minutes, sprinkle them with the flour and cook about 5 minutes, being careful not to let the flour brown.
Stir in chicken broth and half-and-half. Add sherry and Tabasco. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add crabmeat and heat thoroughly for about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings.
Serve soup garnished with chopped parsley and pass a pitcher of sherry.
Makes 4 servings
The Narrows Crab Cakes
1 lb. jumbo crabmeat, picked over
1 tbsp. fine cracker meal
1 egg
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 dash Tabasco
Juice of 1 lemon
3-4 tbsps. mayonnaise
Mix all ingredients and seasonings together, except crabmeat and cracker meal. Place crabmeat in another bown and pick through to remove all loose shells and cartilage. Gently mix cracker meal into the crabmeat. And, also very gently fold wet mixture into the crab. Using an ice cream scooper, scoop out mixture onto baking sheet.
Set oven to broil and broil until lightly browned. Approximately 4-6 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: The Narrows Restaurant ships the crabcakes and cream of crab soup all over the United States.
Tags: lunch and dinner, Recipes, Restaurant, seafood restaurant
AboutMyBeaches, I hope you enjoyed the crab cakes and cream of crab soup! Thanks for the mention on your site. Stop by again and I look forward to seeing you soon at The Narrows.
Thanks again and best wishes.
Kate Pizzo
The Narrows Restaurant
Twitter: @thenarrowsrest
Every time I get the opportunity I stop at The Narrows. I was just there a week ago Saturday in the afternoon. And, I always enjoy the crab soup. I have been your customer for many years; I have even brought my parents from Puerto Rico and hope to keep enjoying it for many years to come.
[…] Tilghman Island. Also serving Annapolis, Stevensville, Kent Island, Easton, Eastern Shore, Maryland.Kent Island, The Narrows Restaurant, Cream of Crab Soup and …Yesterday was a day spent in Baltimore, Maryland, or Charm City as it is also known. It was great […]
Is this the same recipes used today ? For the crab cakes and cream of crab soup?
Are these the same recipes used today
Yes, they are!!
Yes!!
This is definitely not the correct recipe for the cream of crab soup 🙁 The authentic recipe calls for making a roux of butter and flour, but this one starts off with butter, grated onions and carrots. I made it and it was good, but very thin.
That recipe was given to me by the restaurant. Sorry, it did not come out, but I have made it before. I agree about the roux of butter and flour.
If you notice there is also flour added to the butter with the added veggies, making it a roux on its own.
Followed recipe— soup was very thin and taste nothing like what you get from the Narrows
So sorry, but that is the recipe they gave me from the kitchen….do you think the skipped an ingredient on purpose?
Best cream of crab soup I have ever let past my lips.
Had the cream of crab soup & it was excellent….
Also made it at home but think I needed a different pot….
The first list if the recipe didn’t say when to add the crab meat but the 2nd one did….
Does anyone have their crab ball recipe? I would love to have that! YUM!
Thanks for your comments. I am sure there are plenty of crab balls recipes. You can probably use a crab cake recipe for that one.