This creamy French favorite is best served with a sturdy bread, not crackers! What I look for in a bisque is intense flavor with a bit of heat. The texture should be creamy, yet the ingredient identities should still be intact displaying a bold show of the hosting seafood. Finally, someone enjoying your bisque should know that there is wine within by the flavor alone. You don't want the wine to overwhelm the soup, but If you don't taste it then you just made chowder. This is not chowder!
As usual, the picture is lacking one ingredient. Onions! How could I forget the onions?
Ingredients-
1-2 lbs Raw Shrimp
1 lb High Quality Canned or Fresh Cooked Crab Meat
4 cups Seafood Stock
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
1 1/2 cup White Wine or Sherry
3/4 Stick Salted Butter
1/4 cup Flour
2 Stalks Celery
1 Big Onion
6 Baby Carrots
1/4 Red Bell Pepper
1/4 Green Bell Pepper
3 Cloves Garlic
Fresh Parsley
Smoked Paprika
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
To serve-
Parsley Garnish
French Bread with Butter
Beer
Make it-
For a bisque soup I usually prepare all ingredient beforehand. The timing of each step is important and you don't want your soup to wait while you're chopping something. Once the ingredients are prepared this soup is easy and fast to make. Open a beer, get out the chopping board along with a sharp knife. Let's get started!
I start with the shrimp. Remove shells, veins, and tails, then rinse the shrimp. I like to cut large shrimp in half, but small shrimp can be left as is. Toss the shrimp with a bit of kosher salt and pepper before letting them rest. Grind celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in a small food processor, keeping each ingredient separate. Chop peppers with a knife to 1/4x1/4 inch pieces. Mince the parsley with a knife.
This soup is all made in one large pot on the stove. Melt your butter and add the carrots, then simmer over medium heat for a few minutes stirring often with a wooden spoon. This might be a good time to open that second beer.
Next, add the onion and celery while seasoning with kosher salt and pepper. Let that simmer several minutes, then add the peppers and garlic. Season with salt and pepper again while simmering until the vegetables are tender. You should be tasting your creation for seasoning as you go. Lower the heat and incorporate the flour, mixing as you add it. Raise the heat again; add wine and a generous amount of chopped parsley. Simmer this mix stirring constantly to reduce the wine and intensify the flavor.
Reduce heat before adding the seafood stock, heavy cream, 3/4 teaspoon of paprika, and cayenne pepper to taste. Obviously everything is "to taste" as these are cooking guidelines only, but the cayenne sets the heat of the bisque and that's a very individual taste. Try to keep the palate of those eating your food in mind when you season it. Turn the heat up stirring often - bring the mix to gentle boil. Next, add shrimp. Cook until they turn pink, just a few minutes should do.
Finally, add the crab meat and bring it to temperature. Then reduce the heat to keep warm. Serve topped with fresh parsley and a nice French bread with butter.
This dish goes well with a beer!
