Ingredients
3 Tbsp Butter unsalted
½ cup Yellow Onion chopped
½ cup Celery chopped
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour all-purpose
½ tsp Black pepper freshly ground
1 Tbsp Tomato paste
1 cup Heavy Cream
8 oz Small Shrimp cooked, peeled, deveined, thawed if frozen, and chopped if large
8 oz Crabmeat cooked, drained, and checked for shell fragments
3 Tbsp Parsley or cilantro and/or green onion tops
1 Clove Garlic Minced
2 Cups Seafood Stock
¼ tsp Paprika
1 Pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 Pinch Salt
1 Leaf Bay Leaf
1 tsp Lemon Juice fresh, plus more to taste
Equipment
1 Large Dutch Oven (Ideal for building deep flavors and simmering the bisque.)
1 Chef's knife (For chopping aromatics and seafood prep.)
1 Cutting board (A sturdy surface for prepping veggies and shrimp.)
1 Wooden spoon ( For sautéing and stirring the bisque.)
1 Measuring cups and spoons (For accurate broth, cream, and seasoning measurements.)
1 Ladle (To serve up the bisque without making a mess.)
1 Immersion Blender (Optional, for a smoother texture if blending is desired.)
1 Fine Mesh Strainer (Optional, for a smoother base.)
Instructions
- Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Slowly whisk in the seafood stock until smooth. Add the paprika, black pepper, bay leaf, and optional cayenne. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf before blending. For a smoother soup, take the pot off the heat and carefully puree the base with an immersion blender, keeping the blade submerged. Leave the seafood out until after this step.
- Return to low heat and stir in the cream. Fold in the cooked shrimp and crab gently. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup and seafood reach 165°F on a food thermometer; avoid a hard rolling boil and remove from the heat as soon as it is hot enough.
- Stir in the chopped herbs and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Taste, then add more lemon or salt a little at a time if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Notes
This recipe uses already-cooked shrimp and crab. Cook raw seafood separately before adding it. Remove the bay leaf before pureeing, and blend the base before adding the seafood to keep the crab pieces intact.
Start with the small amount of lemon listed and adjust to taste; too much acid can overwhelm the soup. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers and reheat thoroughly to 165°F.
