French Shrimp Bisque Recipe
A bisque is a classic French soup, distinguished by its rich, creamy, and thickened texture.
Ingredients
- Shrimp in the shell (small sized, cooked) – 2.2 lbs
- Olive oil – 3 tbsp
- Onions (sliced) – 2
- Garlic (sliced) – 2 cloves
- Carrot (sliced) – 1
- Celery (sliced) – 1 stalk
- Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
- Butter – 3 tbsp
- Flour – 1/3 cup
- Brandy – 4 tbsp
- Lemon juice – ¼ tsp
- Table cream – ½ cup
- Water – 6 cups
- Bouquet garni (parsley, thyme and bay leaves or cumin and coriander) – 1
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Remove the heads from the shrimp and peel away the shells but keep both for the stock.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Add the shrimp heads and shells, cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they are brown.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook gently until the onions soften.
- Add the bouquet garni, tomato paste, and lemon juice.
- Add the water stirring in gently and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer, cover with saucepan lid, and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Strain the liquid through a sieve.
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Stir in the flour with a whisk and cook gently until golden in color.
- Stir in the brandy.
- Gradually stir in about half of the shrimp soup, using a whisk to keep the mixture smooth.
- Whisk in the remaining shrimp liquid.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes then strain into another saucepan if a smoother consistency is desired.
- Stir in the cream, then stir in the reserved shrimp and cook for a few minutes stirring frequently.
- Serve with some of the reserved shrimp to garnish.
Nutrition
Calories: 412kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 5gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 203mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5g
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