Shrimp Bisque with Pan-Seared Shrimp and Chives
By Liam Carter
Prep
20 min
Cook
40 min
Total
60 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
This shrimp bisque recipe is meant to be used as a side dish in another meal. Shrimp and other toppings can be added to the bisque during service as part of the meal. In addition to making a shrimp stock base for the bisque, I add pink shrimp, cream, and chopped chives and toasted baguette slices to each individual serving of bisque to keep shrimp and other toppings on top of the bisque and give diners a utensil made of bread.
Use a large Dutch oven for the stock and broth. Use a fine strainer to strain, pressing shells and other solids against the strainer to release more flavor. I often strain twice with a fine strainer after using a blender to improve the clarity of the broth when served. Options include a high-powered blender and an immersion blender in the Dutch oven.
I briefly cook the onion and carrots and celery without browning them to preserve the color of the final dish. Let the tomato paste darken to brick red. Cook the flour for the full 2 minutes. The base should be nearly as thick as paste before adding stock.
After adding the cream, I simmer the soup over low heat and take it off the heat before it can boil. Fry the shrimp separately until pink and firm. Serve the soup right away, garnished with three shrimp per serving and black pepper and chopped chives.
What makes this special
- Shellfish and broth for soup are prepared earlier and cooked independently of the main dish. Several preliminary steps in preparing this recipe can be done in advance.
- Prep the base for serving and keep the shrimp and other toppings on hand at the table.
- Each bowl contains three pan-seared shrimp, so it's easy to portion out garnishes.
- Toast slices of baguette in shrimp pan to finish dish shortly before serving the baguette.
- One recipe using a Dutch oven includes shells and cream. A strainer and blender can help make the dish more liquid.
- Share any remaining soup base or other leftovers with the shrimp.
Ingredients
- •1 lb large raw shrimp (shells on, 450g)
- •6 tbsp unsalted butter (divided, 2 tbsp for stock and 4 tbsp for bisque base)
- •¼ cup dry sherry (60ml, or brandy)
- •4 cups water (960ml)
- •1 bay leaf
- •1 yellow onion (medium, chopped)
- •1 carrot (medium, chopped)
- •1 stalk celery (chopped)
- •2 cloves garlic (minced)
- •2 tbsp tomato paste (30g)
- •¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- •1 cup heavy cream (240ml, divided, 3/4 cup for the bisque and 1/4 cup for garnish)
- •salt (to taste, plus a light seasoning for shrimp)
- •white pepper (to taste)
- •1 tbsp olive oil (15ml, for searing shrimp and toasting baguette)
- •1 tbsp fresh chives (finely chopped)
- •cracked black pepper (for garnish)
- •4 slices crusty baguette
Instructions
- 1
Peel and devein the shrimp, putting the shells and tails in one bowl. Cover the cleaned shrimp and refrigerate it until needed.
- 2
Melt 2 tbsp (30g) butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes until bright pink and fragrant.
- 3
Pour in 1/4 cup (60ml) dry sherry or brandy and scrape up the browned bits. Let it bubble and reduce for about a minute.
- 4
Add 4 cups (960ml) water and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, partially cover, and gently simmer for 20-25 minutes without boiling.
- 5
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing the shells to extract the liquid. Discard the shells and bay leaf.
- 6
Wipe the Dutch oven clean, then melt the remaining 4 tbsp (60g) butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until softened and the onion is translucent.
- 7
Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste is brick red.
- 8
Sprinkle in 1/4 cup (30g) flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. The mixture will be thick and paste-like.
- 9
Slowly whisk in the strained shrimp stock until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer, lower the heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- 10
Blend the hot soup in batches with a high-powered blender, or use an immersion blender in the pot, until completely smooth. For a finer texture, strain the blended soup through the fine-mesh sieve again.
- 11
Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Stir in 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream, season with salt and white pepper to taste, and do not let it boil.
- 12
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt. Heat 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then sear the shrimp in a single layer for 1-2 minutes per side until pink, plump, and cooked through.
- 13
Toast the baguette slices in the same skillet, adding a touch more oil if needed, until golden brown on both sides.
- 14
Ladle the hot bisque into rustic ceramic bowls. Arrange three shrimp in each bowl, swirl the remaining 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream around them, and finish with chives and cracked black pepper. Rest a toasted baguette slice on each bowl.
FAQ
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
