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.
| Servings |
SERVINGS
|
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups seafood, chicken or clam broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 250 gm cooked crab meat
- 250 gm cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined & chopped
- fresh herbs for garnish
Ingredients
|
Rate this recipe!
|
- 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.
