Blushing She Crab Soup with a Twist

Ingredients

• 2 small banana peppers sweet seeded quartered
• 1 teaspoon natural brown sugar 
• 0.7 cup chicken broth 
• 0.5 teaspoon crab base 
• 0.1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 0.7 cup cream sherry sweet ()
• 1  eggs 
• 2 teaspoons lump fish caviar red rinsed
• 1 cup cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 1.3 pounds extra-sweet grape tomatoes divided
• 1.5 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper black divided
• 0.7 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 0.3  juice of lemon juiced
• 1 cup lump crab meat fresh blue boiled steamed ( or )
• 0.5 cup olive oil 
• 0.5 cup parmesan grated
• 1 cup onion red chopped
• 0.8 teaspoon pepper flakes red crushed
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 6 tablespoons cream butter salted sweet
• 12 ounces vegetable juice (recommended: V-8)

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• mixing bowl
• pot
• blender
• baking pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 440 degrees F.
2. Halve 18 of the grape tomatoes. In a baking dish pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. To that add banana peppers, and 1/2 of the tomatoes.
3. Mix to coat all with oil.
4. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
5. Bake uncovered (ideally in convection oven) until they start to brown (about 15 minutes).
6. In a pot heat 1/4 cup olive oil and add 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, natural brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon course ground black pepper. Stir over high heat.
7. Add the remaining whole tomatoes and continue to mix until the tomato skins start to peal (about 4 minutes).
8. Pour entire contents of this pot into a blender. To this add cilantro, the roasted tomato mixture and chicken broth. Blend until fairly smooth (about 15 to 20 seconds).
9. Pour entire contents into pot, add 6 ounces of vegetable juice, bring almost to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
10. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg until it produces a light foam and beat in the lemon juice. To this add the remaining 6 ounces vegetable juice and beat again. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the hot soup. Take soup off the heat and slowly mix this mixture into the soup.
11. Add 2 tablespoons heavy cream and stir over medium heat until it starts to bubble.
12. Remove from heat.
13. In a skillet add 6 tablespoons butter, melt butter over medium heat, add 2/3 cup of finely chopped red onion and garlic.
14. Saute for about a minute and then add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Continue sauteing until the onions are soft and translucent. Then add crab boil seasoning and cream sherry. Turn heat up until mixture comes to a bubble then lower to medium heat and stir until it starts thickening to almost a light syrup consistency. Once it has thickened add crab base and make sure it is incorporated well. Then add 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream stir over medium to high heat until it starts to bubble. Then add 1 cup of crabmeat and mix well, once it comes to a bubble again remove from heat.
15. Add 1/2 cup of the tomato soup to bowl, to this add 2/3 cup of the crab soup, 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan. And 1/4 teaspoon of the red lump fish caviar and mix well. Float a tablespoon of the crab soup in center
16. Grate some more Parmesan on top.
17. Add freshly ground black pepper, to taste, and serve
18. I like to garnish with blue crab claws sauteed in butter and cream sherry and or some caviar. When in season I like to use fresh crab roe.