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Shrimp Bisque

17/11/2023

Shrimp bisque is a rich and flavorful dish, typical of French cuisine but that lends itself well to an interpretation with an Italian touch.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of fresh shrimp
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 60 ml of brandy or cognac
  • 400 ml of tomato purée
  • 500 ml of fish stock
  • 100 ml of fresh cream
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Fresh thyme to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Now, let’s see how to proceed with the preparation.

Preparation

  1. Start by cleaning the shrimp: remove the heads, tails, and shells, and keep everything because you’ll need it to make the cooking base. Devein the shrimp by removing the black intestinal tract.
  2. In a large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil and add the finely chopped carrot, celery, and onion along with the crushed garlic. Sauté until they are soft.
  3. Add the shrimp heads and shells to the sauté and cook until they turn a nice pink color. Deglaze with the brandy and let the alcohol evaporate.
  4. Combine the tomato purée, tomato paste, bay leaf, several sprigs of thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover with the fish stock and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  5. After cooking, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer, pressing well on the solids to extract all the juices.
  6. Put the strained liquid back on the heat, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle boil. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes until they are pink and cooked through.
  7. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the cream to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes.
  8. At this point, you can blend part of the shrimp and reincorporate them into the bisque to make it thicker, or serve the bisque as is with the whole shrimp on top as a garnish.

Remember to serve the shrimp bisque piping hot.

Curiosity

Bisque is part of the French culinary tradition and its name seems to derive from Biscay, a region that extends between Spain and France, where sailors often prepared this dish with the catch of the day. The original bisque was prepared with a choice of crustaceans, such as lobsters, crabs, or shrimp.

Shrimp Bisque