Name: Shrimp Bisque
Yield: Makes 8 First-Course Servings
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 1 quart fish or chicken broth or water; 4 medium-size tomatoes, halved crosswise and seeds squeezed out; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 fresh thyme or marjoram sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried; 1 small turnip, peeled and chopped; 1 garlic clove, crushed and peeled; 1 medium-size onion, chopped; 1 small carrot, chopped; 2 pounds shrimp, about 50 medium-size, or 2-¾ pounds with heads; ½ cup heavy cream salt; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste

Preparation info

Makes
8
First-Course Servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Splendid Soups

By James Peterson

Published 2000

About

Maybe it’s because I grew up in the fifties and sixties, when making anything so sophisticated as a bisque occurred only to the most adventurous cooks, that I associate bisques with rather old-fashioned, stuffy French restaurants. Bisque— along with consommé—is one of those formal dishes that make me think I’d better dress up and be prepared for an onslaught of rich, classical cooking. But bisques are wonderful creations, particularly as the focal point for an intimate lunch.

Althou