Raisin Child's Quick Crab Soup

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 small can of tomatoes, peeled or pureed
• 1 pt. lobster paste or crab paste
• 1 pt. Paste (fish soup paste)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion(s), peeled, diced
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 300 ml dry white wine
• 300 ml cream
• 100 g crab meat
• some lemon juice
• Sugar
• salt and pepper
• Worcestershire sauce
• e.g. Cognac or Noilly Prat
• possibly flour for binding
• possibly water for mixing

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Melt the butter in a sufficiently large saucepan, sauté the onions, add the tomato paste, and fry gently. Add the paste and melt (stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking). Add the canned tomatoes (or passata), the wine, and the stock, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Use a hand blender (only for canned tomatoes) to blend the soup and add the cream. If the soup is still too runny, thicken it with a little flour paste (equal parts water and flour) until the desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with sugar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce if desired, and the cognac or Noilly Prat, and simmer gently for another 15 minutes. Add the crab meat, but do not cook. Serve immediately to prevent the crab meat from becoming tough. If you like, serve the soup traditionally with a dollop of cream. The pastes refer to the small packets of Langbein (long leg), which can, of course, be varied to suit your taste. The soup would also certainly taste good with a little spice and a touch of curry.