At first, blue cheese and crab might not seem like the most likely pairing of ingredients. Yet this combination works quite well because gorgonzola is mild enough not to overpower the more delicate crab. Added in the final stages of preparation, the cheese balances the mild potatoes and the rich, salty crabmeat with just the right pungency. Make this rich soup when you want a luxurious treat.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
4 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 cups lobster stock
1 can (8 ounces) tomato paste
2 cups sherry
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon celery salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound cooked crabmeat
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (reserve about 1/4 cup, for garnish)
1/2 bunch chopped fresh basil (reserve about 1 tablespoon, for garnish)
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a stockpot melt the butter over mediumhigh heat. Add the garlic, onion, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the lobster stock, tomato paste, sherry, bay leaves, and celery salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are soft and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove from the heat and add the cream.

Puree the soup in the pot using a hand blender or working in batches with a regular blender until smooth and creamy. Add the crabmeat, cheese, basil, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Return the pot to the heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, adding a bit more sherry, to taste. Garnish each serving with the crumbled cheese, any extra crabmeat, and chopped basil.

Makes 10 servings. Not all blue cheeses are created equal. Though they all contain an edible form of mold that gives them their distinctive blue, veiny appearance, their flavor can range from mild to intensely pungent. Gorgonzola, made in Italy, falls on the mild end of the scale.