Luxurious Seafood Bisque Crab Shrimp (Printable)
Creamy French-style bisque featuring sweet crab meat and tender shrimp in a velvety, herb-infused broth.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 9 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
02 - 9 oz medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
→ Aromatics & Vegetables
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
07 - 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
08 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
→ Liquids
09 - ½ cup dry white wine
10 - 4 cups seafood or fish stock
11 - 1 cup heavy cream
→ Flavorings
12 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - 1 tsp paprika
15 - ½ tsp cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
16 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
18 - 2 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
19 - Lemon wedges, for serving
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; sauté 6–8 minutes until softened but not browned.
02 - Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, and thyme; cook 1–2 minutes to develop flavors.
03 - Pour in white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
04 - Add seafood stock and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove and discard bay leaf. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches to purée until completely smooth.
06 - Return bisque to the pot. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Add shrimp and cook 3–4 minutes until pink and just cooked through. Add crab meat and gently heat through for 2 minutes.
08 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with chives or parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Restaurant quality results from ingredients you can actually find at the regular grocery store
- The silky texture tastes like you spent all day reducing stocks when it really takes just over an hour
- Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day, if you manage to have any
02 -
- Never boil the bisque after adding the cream or it might separate and turn grainy instead of staying perfectly smooth
- The shrimp will continue cooking in the hot soup even after you turn off the heat, so undercook them slightly
- An immersion blender is worth every penny for recipes like this, but if you use a standard blender, never fill it more than halfway with hot liquid
03 -
- Sauté the shrimp shells in the butter before starting, then remove them for an even deeper seafood flavor
- If your bisque is too thick, add more stock a splash at a time until it reaches your desired consistency