Description
Rich, creamy crab and shrimp seafood bisque delivers coastal comfort in each spoonful. Succulent seafood and velvety cream combine for an indulgent experience you’ll savor down to the last drop.
Ingredients
Scale
- 0.5 lb (226.8 g) shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 0.5 lb (226.8 g) crab meat, cooked, picked over for shells
- 4 cups (0.95 L) seafood or chicken broth
- 1 cup (237 mL) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.5 cup finely chopped onion
- 0.25 cup finely chopped celery
- 0.25 cup finely chopped carrot
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons sherry (optional)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for heat)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs (such as parsley or chives) for garnish
Instructions
- Aromatic Base: Sauté vegetables in olive oil over medium heat until tender and translucent, creating a robust flavor foundation for the seafood bisque.
- Flavor Development: Blend tomato paste and spices into the vegetable mixture, stirring vigorously to build a complex and rich taste profile that will complement the seafood.
- Thickening Technique: Sprinkle flour over the vegetable mixture, folding carefully to construct a smooth roux that will provide a luxurious, velvety consistency to the bisque.
- Liquid Integration: Gradually whisk broth into the roux, ensuring a seamless, lump-free liquid base with a silky smooth texture.
- Texture Refinement: Puree the mixture using an immersion blender until achieving a uniform, creamy consistency that will serve as the bisque’s foundation.
- Cream Infusion: Incorporate heavy cream and allow the mixture to simmer gently, developing a rich and indulgent mouthfeel while gradually thickening the soup.
- Seafood Incorporation: Delicately fold crab meat and shrimp into the simmering bisque, warming the proteins without compromising their tender texture. Enhance with an optional splash of sherry for sophisticated depth.
- Final Seasoning: Meticulously adjust salt and pepper to balance the bisque’s flavors, ensuring the seafood’s natural sweetness remains the star of the dish.
- Elegant Presentation: Ladle the bisque into warmed bowls and garnish with fresh herbs, creating a visually stunning and aromatic culinary experience.
Notes
- Prevent Curdling: Temper cream slowly and maintain low heat to avoid separation, ensuring a smooth, silky texture throughout the bisque.
- Control Seafood Cooking: Add crab and shrimp at the last moment to prevent toughening, preserving their tender, delicate texture and preventing rubbery consistency.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Select high-quality seafood stock or homemade broth to amplify the richness and complexity of the bisque’s base.
- Master Roux Technique: Stir flour mixture continuously to eliminate potential lumps, creating a perfectly smooth foundation for the creamy soup.
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg