Most people think of any creamy soup when they hear the word bisque, but it really refers to seafood soup. It originated in France in the region of Brittany, which is known for its seafood. The word ‘bisque’ comes from the Bay of Biscay —a gulf that lies off Europe’s west coast, bordering between France and Spain.
Authentic recipes for bisque actually ground the shells of the crustacean into a fine paste, using that to thicken the soup. Nowadays, it is more common to use flour or rice as a thickener. Although a bisque and a chowder are both cream-based soups and most often feature seafood, it is their consistency that defines them and makes them quite different from each other. Whereas a bisque is smooth, a chowder is chunky, chock full of hearty pieces of ingredients such as potato and clams or corn. We also see bacon as an important ingredient in a chowder when it would not be featured in a bisque.
The first reference to bisque as a soup dates back to the 17th century. It was originally a fisherman’s dish designed to extract the most flavor from whatever seafood ingredients were readily available. So, while today bisque is often considered a ‘fancy’ soup, its humble origins lie in practicality and resourcefulness.
Today’s bisque recipe is a simplified procedure using prepared broth but still gives you the depth of taste and the sumptuous, creamy consistency that makes it a wonderful choice on a cool day.
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Crab & Shrimp Seafood Bisque
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Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery & carrot until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic & cook for an additional minute.
Stir in tomato paste, paprika, Old Bay seasoning & season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Sprinkle flour over the mixture, stirring until well combined. Cook for another minute.
Gradually add broth, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Puree the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or transfer to a standard blender in batches.
Mix in the heavy cream & simmer for 10 more minutes, until slightly thickened.
Add crab meat & shrimp. Simmer for 5 minutes or until seafood is heated through, keeping the heat low to avoid curdling the cream.
Adjust seasoning with salt & black pepper if needed.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs.
July is such a wonderful month. The weather’s warm, there’s still plenty of summer left, and the produce is literally amazing.
Midsummer means the farmer’s markets are brimming with great fruit & veggies. With such a colorful bounty of goods, we can settle into our summer cooking routines with tasty meals hot or cold.
But, even in summer, we sometimes crave ‘comfort food’ such as a savory hand pie. The humble hand pie goes by many different names: call it a pasty, a turnover, an empanada, or whatever you like, who doesn’t love a little portable personal-sized savory pie?
These hand pies, with their tender, flaky, herbed crust perfectly envelop the creamy chicken and summer veggies. A flavorful meal that can be served as the main course for a warm-weather picnic or for a hand-held, backyard meal with the addition of a nice fresh salad at home.
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Summer Chicken/Veg Hand Pies w/ Herbed Crust
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Rating: 5
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Instructions
Herbed Crust
Add the flour, sugar, basil, oregano & salt to a food processor; pulse just until combined. In a small bowl, whisk mix together the egg, vinegar & water. Add the cold butter pieces into the food processor; pulse until small coarse crumbs remain. Sprinkle the water/egg mixture over the flour & pulse again until the dough comes together.
Remove the dough with your hands & wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Prepare filling during this time.
Filling
Heat a Dutch oven or pot over medium high heat; add the olive oil & butter. Season the chicken with the salt & pepper then add it to the pot. Cook until the chicken is golden & browned, then remove it with a spoon & place it in a bowl.
Add the 3 tablespoons of butter to the pot with the onion. Sprinkle in a bit more salt & pepper. Stir, then cook the onions until slightly soft, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add the potatoes & stir, cooking for another 5 minutes; stirring often. Sprinkle the flour over the onions & potatoes; stir gently to create somewhat of a roux with the vegetables. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Slowly stream the chicken stock into the pot while stirring – it will thicken. Stir in the squash, green beans, corn and chicken. Stir in the cream. Taste the mixture and season with salt & pepper if needed.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Remove pastry from refrigerator & place on a baking sheet or board. Invert a 5-inch bowl over top to create your outline of each hand pie. Press down to cut out.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place rounds of pastry on the parchment & brush around the outer edge of each pastry circle.
Distribute the filling in the center of each pastry circle (don't fill to the edge; leave some space). You want enough filling in there, but not too much that you can't close/seal over.
Fold over each pastry circle (so each is a half-moon shape), pressing the outer edges with a fork to seal. You can gently press over top (with your hand) to spread out the filling inside.
Brush the hand pies with some of the remaining egg wash. Cut 3 slits in top of each pastry circle. Place them in the fridge for about 10 minutes so the pastry gets a little cold again.
Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside & heated through. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving. Nothing says they can't be served with a little gravy (if desired)!
Recipe Notes
- You may get anywhere from 6-8 hand pies depending how thick your dough is rolled.
