Elegant Seafood Bisque

ELEGANT SEAFOOD BISQUE

Steps:

• Sauté minced shallots in butter until soft.
• Add the flour and stir with whisk for 5 minutes on low heat, set aside.
• Bring one quart of water to a boil and add chicken base, clams, crab, shrimp and whole pieces of salmon and cod.
• Return to boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Strain the stock, reserving the seafood.
• Stir the shallot mixture into the stock.
• Add the heavy cream and half and half to the stock, bring to a simmer on low heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Chunk the salmon and cod and add all of the seafood back into the soup pot.
• Add the sherry and heat through, no more than 3 minutes.

ELEGANT SEAFOOD BISQUE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons oil until tender. Stir in flour until blended; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in broth and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened., Stir in the tomato sauce, juice, wine, basil, salt and pepper. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add cream; heat through (do not boil)., Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook shrimp and lobster in remaining oil until shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Add to soup. Garnish servings with additional basil.

SEAFOOD BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt butter in large pan.
• Add vegetables, seasonings and lemon juice.
• Cook slowly for 5 minutes.
• Add chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf.
• Add seafood and cook for 5 minutes longer.
• Add cream just before serving.
• (For a lower fat version, reduce the butter or margarine to 1 T, and use evaporated milk or half-and-half instead of the cream).

SEAFOOD BISQUE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, combine the first 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add the shrimp, crab and mushrooms. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the wine, salt and pepper; cook 2-3 minutes longer. Top with onions if desired.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Stock: In a large pot lined with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch salted water to a boil. Steam lobster tails, top-side down, until just cooked through and tails curl under, 6 to 8 minutes for small tails and 8 to 10 minutes for large. Transfer to a plate and let cool. When cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears to cut through underside of tails. Remove meat from shells; reserve shells. Run a paring knife along back of each tail and remove vein. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add shells and cook until fragrant and deep red in color, about 4 minutes. Add fish stock, wine, and 6 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, skimming impurities from surface, until reduced to 6 cups, 40 to 45 minutes. Strain stock into a large liquid-measuring cup or heatproof bowl. Wipe out pot. (Stock can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer up to 3 months.)
• Bisque: In same pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne; cook 1 minute. Add brandy, sherry, and strained lobster stock; season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf.
• Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Let cool 15 minutes. Whisk together cream and cornstarch, then stir into bisque. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning as desired.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add lobster meat and cook until just warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour soup into bowls and serve, topped with lobster, fennel fronds, and a squeeze of lemon, if desired. Soup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.