How To Make Blue Crab Risotto with Cascabel Chiles - Best Recipe | Charleston Magazine

Ingredients

• 4 cups crab stock (find recipe at charlestonmag.com)
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fennel bulb
• 1/4 cup very small dice of leek, white part only
• 1 garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup super fino arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, divided
• 1 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 lb. jumbo lump blue crab, carefully picked over to remove any shell without breaking up lumps, divided
• 1 Tbs. cascabel, chicostle, or ancho chile powder
• Leaves from two branches chervil, lightly chopped
• Petite croutons (find recipe at charlestonmag.com)
• 3 lbs. crab shells
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 leek, white part only, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 branches tarragon, stems used in stick and leaves reserved for risotto
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 3 qts. water
• 1 garlic clove, crushed and minced
• 1 thyme sprig, leaves only
• 1 rosemary sprig, leaves only
• 1/2 cup very small dice of crustless French bread