Maryland
Crab Ravioli
Paper-thin semolina pasta filled with crab, ricotta, and crème fraîche, served in a tomato-crab bisque built from scratch over the better part of a day.
Childhood-comfort-food nostalgia (Chef Boyardee's beef ravioli) elevated by a memory of real gourmet ravioli (Brian Voltaggio's VOLT), reworked around Maryland crab. Semolina pasta rolled paper-thin, filled simply with crab, ricotta, and crème fraîche, and served in a tomato-crab bisque that starts from a from-scratch stock and takes the better part of a day to build.
Read the full story — Battle of the CrabRavioli Filling
- 1 cup (8 oz) ricotta cheese
- ½ cup crème fraîche
- 1 cup (8 oz) lump crabmeat
- 2 tbsp Old Bay
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp ancho or chipotle chili powder (smell to decide)
- to taste coarse salt and black pepper
- for garnish fresh mint, chopped
Pasta Dough
- as needed equal parts semolina flour and all-purpose flour
No exact dough quantities given — use your usual pasta dough recipe, substituting half the flour with semolina for the extra stretch needed to roll thin without tearing (aim for a 7 setting on the roller).
Crab Stock — Bisque Stage 1
- 1 dozen crab shells (tops), claws, and legs
- 1½ cups carrots, small dice (divided 2 × ¾ cup)
- 1½ cups celery, small dice (divided 2 × ¾ cup)
- 1½ cups onion, small dice (divided 2 × ¾ cup)
- 1 each red, green, orange, yellow bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
Crab Soup — Bisque Stage 2
- 1 lb crab body meat, picked (plus reserved lump for garnish)
- 1–2 shallots, finely diced
- 3–4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup white wine (or ¼ cup white wine vinegar + ¼ cup mirin)
- ½ cup cognac (optional)
- 4 oz can tomato paste
- 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Bisque Finish — Stage 3
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- optional sherry, to taste at the table
Parmesan Tweel — Bonus Garnish
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Optional but worth it — a crisp, moldable garnish that dresses up the bisque bowl or glass.
Build the Stock 2–3 hrs
Fill a 6-qt stockpot three-quarters full with water and bring to a boil — no need to salt, the Old Bay on the shells provides plenty. Crack open the claws and legs with a crab mallet, leaving the Old Bay coating intact, and add all shells, legs, and claws to the boiling water. Add ¾ cup each of the diced carrots, celery, and onion, plus the bell peppers, thyme, and bay leaves. Add water as needed to just cover. Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Strain
Strain through a china cap or colander to remove the shells; discard the shells. Return the liquid to the stockpot and bring back to a simmer.
Build the Soup Base
Bring the stock back to a low boil. Add the remaining ¾ cup each of carrots, celery, and onion, plus the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, and remaining bell peppers. Reduce to a low simmer, covered, stirring occasionally.
Saüte & Combine
In a separate pot, heat EVOO and sauté the shallots until caramelized. Add the garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant — no longer, or it turns bitter. Add the remaining carrots, celery, and onion; cook until the onions caramelize, 3–4 minutes. Fold in the picked crab meat (reserving the garnish portion) and sauté 4 minutes over medium-low. If using cognac, add it once the mixture is at a boil, taking care not to flame it. Pour everything into the main stockpot.
Simmer with Tomato 4–5 hrs total
Bring to a low boil, stir in the San Marzano tomatoes and tomato paste, and boil 1–2 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 2 hours, crushing the whole tomatoes against the side of the pot each time you stir. Continue simmering another 2–3 hours.
Strain & Purée
Strain through a china cap into a large bowl, pressing out all liquid — this should yield about 8 cups. Purée the reserved solids in a food processor until fully liquefied, strain once more, and stir the puréed liquid back into the soup.
Smooth & Thicken
Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until very smooth, then strain twice more through a fine mesh strainer, returning it to the stockpot. In a cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat, whisk in the flour all at once, and cook until a medium blonde roux forms, 1–2 minutes. Fold the roux into the soup, stirring constantly, and simmer 10 minutes until it reaches bisque texture. Thin with water if it's too thick.
Finish with Cream
Fold in the heavy cream, tasting as you go — add up to ¼ cup more if needed, but no further, or it starts tasting like cream instead of bisque. Blend once more with the immersion blender for a final smoothing pass.
Make the Filling
Mix the ricotta, crème fraîche, crabmeat, Old Bay, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper together until combined.
Roll & Fill the Pasta
Roll the pasta dough as thin as you can manage — a 7 setting is the goal. Fill with 1 tablespoon of the crab filling per ravioli and seal.
Cook the Ravioli 2–3 min
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, cook the ravioli until they rise to the top.
Plate
Ladle the warm bisque into a wide bowl and top with the ravioli. Garnish with the reserved lump crab, a parmesan tweel, and chervil, parsley, mint, or basil.