Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes
Crab & Shrimp Bisque
- Prep time
- 15-20 minutes PT20M
- Cook time
- 1 hour PT1H
- Yield
- Serves 10
- Difficulty
Ingredients
- 1 lb. bay shrimp
- 1 lb. Dungeness crab meat
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
- 5 bay leaves
- 1½ gallons chicken stock
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 2 quarts heavy cream
- 1 lb. butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 10 peppercorns
- Parsley for garnish, chopped
Preparation
In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add half the bay shrimp, celery, onion and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender. Sift in the flour, whisking mixture into a roux, making sure all of the flour is incorporated – forming a smooth, loose paste. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaves, cayenne, peppercorns and salt; reduce heat to low. Let stock simmer for approximately 30-35 minutes.
In a separate pot, warm the cream over medium heat. Let cream slightly reduce; blend into stock mixture, then strain through a fine seive strainer into another pot; discard strained items.
Stir in the rest of the bay shrimp and all of the crab meat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley and warmed slices of sourdough bread on the side.
Techniques used in this recipe:
- reduce
- reduce: to decrease the volume of a liquid by simmering or boiling; used to provide a thicker consistency and/or concentrated flavors.
Glossary:
- bay leaves
-
Sweet Bay of Laurel is native to the Mediterranean region where it grows to an evergreen tree up to 40-feet high. It is found extensively in the milder climates of North America; the leaf of the California Bay Laurel is long and tapered, bright green in color, and extremely pungent - from two to three time more pungent than that of the European variety.
The uses of Bay are many and varied. Eggs, meats, game, soups, casseroles, and sauce benefit from the judicious use of this herb; use it sparingly, however, for it is dominant by nature.
- bisque
-
A soup based on crustaceans or a vegetable puree. It is classically thickened with rice and usually finished cream.
- cayenne pepper
-
A member of the capsicum family, related to paprika, chili pequins, and bell peppers. The cayenne pod ranges in size from 1 to 3-inches in length and from 1/2 to 1-inch across the base. Its orange to bright-red color well represents its fiery character. Cayenne should be used with care and caution.
It is the pepper used by make the iconic condiment, Tabasco Pepper Sauce. The merest sprinkling of cayenne is used to enhance Hollandaise sauce, chowders, deviled eggs, a variety of meat dishes, pickled or spiced meats, vegetables, and olives as well as baked, stuffed and fried potatoes. Combine it with paprika and a number of other spices to make spicy barbecue and basting sauces and tomato sauces.
- roux
-
French. Containing equal parts of flour and fat (usually butter) used to thicken liquids. Roux is cooked to varying degrees (white, pale/blond, or brown/chestnut), depending on its intended use. As the roux cooks, the natural nuttiness of the flour increases and the color darkens which lends both flavor and color to the dish it will be used in.
- shellfish
-
Various types of marine life consumed as food including univalves, bivalves, cephalopods, and crustaceans.
Pair with
-
Chardonnay
A classic white wine made famous in Burgundy, France, it's now grown all over the world. It takes oak well and is often fermented and aged in oak barrels. Full bodied, with rich flavors of vanilla, butter, green apple and tropical fruit (banana, pineapple).
