shrimp bisque

I LOVE soup. I could eat it everyday (with bread, cheese, salad, and french fries). In particular, I LOVE bisque- crab bisque, lobster bisque, you name it! Every time I go out to eat and I see that there is some kind of bisque on the menu, I ALWAYS order it.

I decided it was about time I try to make it on my own. I am so glad I did because it was DELICIOUS! The only downside is all the prep. I wish I did it all a bit earlier because the whole experience would have gone much smoother. I ended up using a second pair of hands so it would be finished within dinner time.



Here's what you need (and prep it before you plan on actually cooking it): 3 tablespoons butter, 1 yellow onion (thinly sliced), 1 carrot (peeled and thinly sliced), 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced), 2 pounds of shrimp (shelled and deveined; save the shells intact as much as possible; save 24 shrimp and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces), 4 Roma tomatoes (coarsely chopped), 4 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons dry sherry, salt, cayenne pepper, and Italian parsley for garnish (finely chopped).



In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes.



Add the shrimp shells and continue to saute for about 5 minutes. The shells will turn bright pink and the vegetables will continue to soften.



Add the tomatoes and stock. Cook for 5-8 minutes. Remove the shrimp shells and throw them away. (Notice I changed pots; I kept switching between two different pots.)



In a blender, process the mixture in batches until finely chopped. Pass the mixture through a sieve or food mill. Discard the solids.



When all done, you are left with a smooth mixture.



With the 24 shrimp set aside, add the rest of the shrimp and the bread crumbs to the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and, with the blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth.



Return the soup to medium heat and add the cream, sherry, salt to taste, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook for about 2-5 minutes to blend the flavors. Add salt if necessary.





When the soup is ready, add the 24 cut shrimp and cook for a couple minutes more. Before serving, garnish with the parsley. Oh, so good...