10 cups fish or seafood stock
(or, in a pinch, bottled clam juice)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup flour
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 whole scallions, sliced
1/2 cup butter (to sauté)
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley
1 cup cream
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup dry Sherry
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups (1 pound) lump crabmeat
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt 1 stick butter and in it sauté onions, mushrooms and scallions
until tender. While sautéing bring fish stock to a boil. Put all sautéed
vegetables and 4 cups hot stock in blender (in batches) and purée
until smooth.
Make a roux using 1 cup butter and 1 cup flour. Add 4 cups stock
(hot) and puréed vegetable mixture whisking constantly. Add the
remaining stock, continuing to whisk. Turn heat to low. Add all
seasonings, half of cream, half-and-half and half of Sherry. Do
not allow to boil. (Can be made ahead to this point.)
When ready to finish, reheat but do not boil. Mix in approximately
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, remaining cream, half-and-half and
Sherry, and crabmeat. Stir until cheese is melted and crab is heated
through. Serves 8.
 

More festive soup recipes:
Chef Keegan's Cream of Mushroom Soup
Crabmeat and Leek Soup
Lobster Bisque
Scallop Bisque
Shrimp Bisque
New Orleans Oyster and Artichoke Soup
The Christmas Soup (Petite Marmite)