Recipes through the ages The Politicks of Marriage Partan Bree (Crab Soup)

Part of History Lessons, Scotland 1714

Ingredients: 1 large cooked crab 2 oz (50g or ¼ cup) rice 1 pint (600ml or 2½ cups) milk 1 pint (600ml or 2½ cups) liquor from boiling the crab ¼ pint (125ml or ¾ cup) single cream Salt and pepper Finely chopped chives

Method: Remove all the meat from the crab, keeping the claw meat separate. Cook the rice in a pan with the milk and water until tender. Liquidize this with the brown body meat from the crab. Add the white meat and cream and reheat. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the partan bree is too thick, you can add some more milk if required. Serve garnished with fresh, green, finely chopped chives.