1.Slide a knife under top of crab shells at back, lever off and discard shells. Discard gills, rinse crabs under cold water. Cut crab bodies into quarters.
2.Melt butter in large saucepan, cook onion, carrot, leek and garlic, stirring, until vegetables soften. Add crab, in batches, cook, stirring, until changed in colour. Remove from pan.
3.Add paste to pan, cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Return crab to pan with brandy, stir over heat about 2 minutes or until alcohol evaporates.
4.Add wine, stock, bay leaf, thyme and tomato; bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes.
5.Meanwhile, using back of teaspoon, work extra butter into flour in small bowl.
6.Strain soup through muslin-lined sieve or colander into large heatproof bowl, extract as much meat as possible from crab, add to soup. Discard shells, claws and other solids.
7.Return soup to same cleaned pan; bring to the boil. Stir in flour mixture and cream, stir until soup boils and thickens slightly. Season to taste.
Recipe is not suitable to freeze.
Note
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