Scottish Crab Bisque (Partan Bree)

Ingredients

• 4 lb. cooked Dungeness or blue crabs, meat removed from bodies and legs and finely chopped, shells broken into large chunks
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 large yellow onions (1 thinly sliced; 1 finely chopped)
• 1⁄2 rib celery, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced
• 3⁄4 cup roughly chopped parsley stems, plus 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tsp. whole white peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1⁄2 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 tbsp. brandy
• 1⁄3 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 2⁄3 cup milk
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 1⁄4 cup cream sherry
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄2 tsp. paprika
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Creme fraiche, to garnish