Description
Seafood lovers rejoice with this luxurious Crab and Shrimp Seafood Bisque that blends ocean-fresh treasures into a silky, rich experience. Creamy, indulgent spoonfuls promise a delightful journey through coastal flavors you won’t soon forget.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood:
- 1 pound (454 grams) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound (454 grams) crab meat
Vegetables and Base Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Liquids and Seasonings:
- 4 cups seafood or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, celery, and carrot until vegetables soften and become translucent, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour into the vegetable mixture, stirring continuously for 2 minutes to create a golden roux without burning.
- Slowly pour seafood or chicken broth into the pot, whisking consistently to prevent lumps from forming. Incorporate heavy cream, milk, white wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- Bring the liquid mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and sauce to thicken.
- Gently introduce shrimp and crab meat into the simmering bisque. Cook for 5-6 minutes until shrimp turn pink and seafood is heated through.
- Extract and discard bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the bisque until smooth, or blend partially for a more rustic texture.
- Taste and fine-tune seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving immediately.
Notes
- Choose fresh, high-quality crab and shrimp for the best flavor and texture, ensuring they’re properly cleaned and deveined before cooking.
- Use an immersion blender carefully to manage the bisque’s consistency, blending partially for a chunkier soup or fully for a silky smooth experience.
- Replace white wine with extra seafood broth or dry vermouth if avoiding alcohol, maintaining the depth of flavor without compromising taste.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream with half-and-half or coconut milk, and use gluten-free flour to make the recipe more diet-friendly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg