On our recent trip to Baltimore, we were based in the Fells Point neighborhood. When it comes to good eating (and drinking), this particular Inner Harbor quarter has an embarrassment of riches. Many of the restaurants here seem to cater to the boaty set, yet one of the most popular is for all intents a simple bar with an inspired kitchen.
From oysters to crab, Thames Street has it all
As the name suggests, Thames Street Oyster House (thamesstreetoysterhouse.com) specializes in oysters (above left). There’s always at least one, and sometimes two shuckers working feverishly at the front of the house. And while the bivalves of Chesapeake Bay are well represented, we were pleasantly surprised to find oysters from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine on offer to augment the Maryland and Virginia catch.
But Maryland is also famous for its blue crab. So we ordered a monster crab cake (above right), washed down with a Natty Bo, or National Bohemian, beer. Natty Bo is to Baltimore what a ‘gansett is to southern New England — a cheap taste of long-ago pleasures.
We also tried the Maryland crab soup. Per our waitress, everyone’s mom makes a version of the soup. Her mother made it with bacon. It’s hearty and satisfying and it stretches a little crab a long way. (Crab is no longer cheap, after all.) We fussed around with several recipes until we came up with one that came close to replicating the bowl at Thames Street Oyster House.
Maryland Crab Soup
There are as many recipes for this traditional soup as there are Maryland cooks. Most use both beef and bacon to create a rich, smoky foundation for the base stock. The soup builds on a classic mirepoix and adds seasonal vegetables — haricots verts in our case. Off season, many home cooks use mixed frozen vegetables but we prefer the meatiness of the green beans. The crab is prominent but plays more of a supporting role to the broth. Like many soups, this one is even richer after a night in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 100 grams beef (chuck, short rib, or round), coarsely chopped
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup of smoky bacon, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 cup haricots vert, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1 lb lump crab meat
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook beef in stock until extremely soft. (A pressure cooker will soften even tough round steak in 20 minutes.) Set aside.
In a heavy stock pot, render bacon over low heat. (If bacon is lean, add a teaspoon of oil.) Remove bacon with slotted spoon and reserve.
Place diced onions, carrots, and celery in bacon fat and cook about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute, Vegetables should begin to soften.
Bay leaves, diced tomatoes, and Old Bay seasoning go into the pot. Add stock and beef and bring to boil.
Lower heat to a simmer and add haricots verts. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Taste the stock and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Fold in crab and reserved bacon. Stir carefully so crab doesn’t break up.
Remove the bay leaves, season with extra Old Bay to taste, and serve with oyster crackers.
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