Recipe

Crab Stock

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds raw gumbo, soup, or any hardshell crabs (about 15 or 16 small crabs), each broken in half
4 quarts water, cold or at room temperature
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 whole head garlic, halved horizontally
4 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 turns freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a large soup or stock pot over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer until you have about 7 cups of stock about 2 hours, and remove from the heat.
Strain through a fine strainer or sieve. Discard solids. Refrigerate or freeze in 2-cup containers. Keeps for 1 month.