Crab And Scallop Soup With Peppers And Peas

Directions

1. Clean crab and crack; remove meat. Reserve shells and crab butter (gray-green coating inside crab shell). Chill crab meat. Place shells and crab butter in 8- to 10-qt stockpot. Add in water, clam juice, onion halves, carrot, thyme and cayenne. Boil over medium heat till liquid is reduced to 9 c., about 1 1/2 hrs. Strain stock.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add in minced onion and garlic and saute/fry till tender, about 6 min. Add in curry pwdr and grnd turmeric and stir 1 minute. Add in crab stock, butternut squash and potato. Simmer till vegetables are very tender, about 35 min. Transfer mix to blender in batches and puree till smooth. Return to Dutch oven. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before continuing.)
3. Heat 1 Tbsp. butter in large skillet. Add in all bell peppers and saute/fry till crisp-tender, about 2 min. Add in bay scallops and saute/fry till almost cooked through, about 3 min. Add in reserved crab meat and green peas and cook till heated through, about 3 min. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle squash puree into bowls. Top with seafood mix and serve.
5. This recipe yields 6 servings.
6. Comments: A spectacular one-dish meal which gets its rich flavor from homemade crab stock. The stock is simple to make and does not require a lot of time. Potato helps thicken the soup; butternut squash adds color.