Peggy Lampman's Friday dinnerFeed: Shrimp Bisque
Peggy Lampman | Contributor
If you're looking for make-ahead recipes, this is a winner. The soup taste better one or two days after it's made. This week, Busch’s is selling shrimp at $8.99 per pound — this bisque sounds better by the minute.
There are many ways to thicken soups and bisques. Rice is often and traditionally used to thicken seafood bisques, and I particularly enjoy the flavor and texture the rice brings to the bisque when puréed with the other ingredients.
I serve this rich brew in shot glasses and garnish each glass with a skewered fresh shrimp.
Yield: Approx. 5 cups
Cost: Approx. $16.50
Active Time: 35 minutes
Simmer Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter 

1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed, plus 1 extra shrimp for every serving to use as garnish

½ cup diced celery 

½ cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup diced carrot

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 cup sherry
3 cups seafood stock*

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons long grain white rice

Cayenne, optional
Directions
1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add 1 pound shrimp & sauté 1 minute on each side. Remove shrimp and add celery, onion, carrot, a a pinch of kosher salt to pan. Sauté 8 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste to vegetables and sauté for two minutes.

3. Add sherry to pan and bring to a low boil 2 minutes. Add 3 cups stock, dried thyme, cream and rice. Cover pot and simmer until rice is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. 

4. Purée soup in blender, then return to pan. Season with kosher salt if needed and cayenne, if desired. 

5. Before serving, sauté reserved shrimp in butter and sprinkle with parsley. Meanwhile, bring soup to simmer, stirring frequently. Ladle into bowls or cognac glasses and garnish with reserved shrimp.