Shellfish Bisque Soup
Amanda
An easy frugal shellfish bisque made with shells and garnished with cayenne and cream
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine French
Servings 4
Calories 117 kcal
- 1.5 litre shellfish shells
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 1 litre water
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 stick celery chopped
- 1 bay leaf or bouquet garni
- 50 ml brandy
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce to taste
- 25 g butter
- 25 g flour
Roast the shells at 200C/400F Gas 6 for 15 minutes.
Add brandy and flambée on the hob.
Transfer shells to a stock pot and add carrot, celery, onion, bay leaf or bouquet garni and enough water to cover.
Bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 hours.
Remove the large pieces of shell and blitz the rest with a stick blender.
Sieve and add a few spoonfuls of the sludgy shell.
In a clean saucepan add the butter over a medium heat until melted. Tip in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring all the time.
Transfer the shellfish bisque back to pot, season and add tomato purée and fish sauce before warming through.
Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.
Tips:
- If the sauce is not thick enough for your taste you can use a tablespoon of cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the hot soup.
- Serve this with plenty of crusty bread and a crisp Muscadet sur lie wine.
- When you are freezing shells take care to remove the gills and stomach sac, which is found behind the eyes.
Calories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 412mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2731IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
Keyword bisque, crab, lobster, prawns, shellfish