Shellfish Bisque Soup
An easy frugal shellfish bisque made with shells and garnished with cayenne and cream
Equipment
- deep roasting dish
- blender or food processor
- stockpot or large saucepan
- wooden spoon
- sieve
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 412mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2731IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
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