Adding the shrimp shells to flavor the bisque broth adds great flavor to this soup. It tastes like it just jumped out of the sea. But don’t limit yourself to shrimp for this bisque. Any shellfish would be delicious: crab, lobster, crawfish, you name it. I used to make my bisques with cups and cups of half-and-half. Yet I’ve found that a half cup is really all you need to create a smooth and decadently creamy soup.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 2 large leeks (white and light green parts), thoroughly cleaned and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- Large pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Directions
- In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over high heat. Add the shrimp shells and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the brandy. Return the pot to the heat and simmer until the liquid evaporates. Stir in the water, . teaspoon of the salt, the thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid into a bowl and discard the solids.
- Return the empty pot to the stove. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter. Add the shrimp and cook until they are pink but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the celery, leeks, garlic, and a large pinch of salt to the pot. Cook over medium heat until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the reserved shrimp broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir the shrimp back into the pot and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (or use an immersion blender to puree right in the pot). Return the soup to the pot and stir in the milk, half-and-half, cayenne, and the remaining . teaspoon salt. Simmer until hot, then add the lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.
Serves 6
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