Creamy Shrimp Bisque

Since we didn't include recipes with our Soup Swap soups, we promised to post them here. While Ade's highly coveted Argentine locro recipe will be coming soon, I decided to post my recipe first. My offering for our 2009 DC Soup Swap was Shrimp Bisque.

Originally, my plan was to make a traditional Louisiana Crawfish Bisque complete with stuffed crawfish heads. I was determined to offer something ultra-enticing that not many people on the east coast have tried. Has anyone out there actually found affordable whole crawfish in the DC area?? Well, I tried to find some and lemme tell ya--it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE, at least without planning far in advance. So, shrimp bisque it was!

I borrowed a few secrets from another favorite soup and doctored it up to make this lovely recipe. As we've said before, the crucial part of any good soup is to start with a really good base. You'll want to buy shell-on shrimp so you can use the shells to make a wonderfully rich, flavorful shrimp stock. Please don't let this step deter you from trying the recipe because it only takes about 30 minutes and it's SO worth the effort! If anyone wants to know if you can substitute fish bouillon, the answer is a resounding NO!

What makes a bisque a bisque is the use of the entire crustacean. Bisque comes from the French term "bis cuites" meaning twice cooked. This refers to first making a stock from the crustacean shells and then taking the actual seafood meat, cooking it and finally pureeing it to thicken the soup. How much you puree it is up to you. If you want to leave it with a more rustic texture, serve it in mugs to enjoy with your Sunday crossword. For a more elegant presentation, puree it until its completely blended, then pour it through a sieve. Serve it velvety smooth on your finest china garnished with a single chive.

Click here to view and print the recipe!

New Year's Oyster Stew

Here in America New Year's traditions often entail black-eyed peas, cabbage for good luck, something a bit healthier to kick off a resolution, or even a full-on detox.

In France, however, the New Year is often associated with oysters. France, after all, is Europe's #1 producer of oysters and the holiday season is the peak of oyster season. This New Year's association was news to me, but my friend Cindy asked me if I'd heard of oyster stew for the holiday and so I went rummaging around to dig for some inspiration. I can certainly see its appeal especially on a day when there's no shortage of celebratory spirits like champagne or stout.

So this New Year's Eve our stove's burners were simmering with chicken and sausage gumbo and this here oyster stew.

Oyster Stew
Serves 2-4

5 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 c table cream, light cream, or whole milk
24 oysters, canned or shucked with 1/4 c oyster liquid reserved
2 tsp salt

4-6 twists of cracked black pepper
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes                                                                      
1/4 c green onions, chopped

1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir continuously for about 3 minutes until you have a blond roux. Add salt and black pepper.

2. Throw in the yellow onion and garlic and saute about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved oyster liquid, table cream, and bring to a boil and then simmer. Keep stirring so as not to burn the cream. 

3. Add the oysters and keep stirring until the edges of the oysters curl about 3-4 minutes. Top with green onion and red pepper flakes. Season to taste and serve!