Seafood Bisque

Shell and clean the seafood, reserving the shells for making the stock. Reserve shelled and cleaned seafood separately, keeping it refrigerated until ready to serve the soup.

Set a deep, wide pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly caramelized, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the shallots, leeks and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook until the vegetables are well coated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved shells to the pan and cook until the shells are pink and well caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the brandy, chicken broth, wine, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Toss in the strips of lemon rind. Season with salt, white pepper and paprika and simmer about 45 minutes.

In a clean pot that’s large enough to hold the stock, melt the butter over medium heat. Combine butter with flour and stir to form a roux. Strain the finished stock through a fine mesh sieve into the roux (press shells in the strainer to extract the maximum flavor). Add the heavy cream, brandy, sherry and cayenne pepper and return to a simmer. Add lemon juice to taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Dice seafood meats into ½ inch chunks (or desired size; shrimp may be left whole). Add the seafood into the broth, stir to combine, then cook until seafood is just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives and serve with oyster crackers or small rounds of puff pastry.

This recipe was developed by combining several recipes and techniques. My friends, family and I think it is a winner.