Another versatile soup/sauce. In the restaurant we served with as an amuse bouche in espresso cups with a cocktail stick speared prawn.
It’s worth collecting shells whenever you have them and pop in the freezer until you have enough to make the bisque. Save the unused prawns for another recipe or cook some up in butter to serve in the soup
If I am making enough to freeze, I don’t salt the bisque so that I can reduce it to make a sauce for seafood spaghetti and salmon medallions. It will keep safely for a day in the fridge or freeze.
80g unsalted butter
800g raw prawns with heads and shells
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, shopped and fronds reserved
1 carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs parsley
1 tbsp tomato puree
50ml brandy or cognac
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
generous pinch paprika
generous pinch cayenne pepper
1 ltr fish stock
50ml double cream, to serve
Remove the heads and shells from the prawns and reserve. Keep the 200g of prawn flesh for this recipe and freeze the rest for another day.
In a large pan melt 40g of butter with 1 tbsp of oil, when the butter starts to froth, add the shells and cook on a medium high heat for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally until they turn orange and smell fragrant. It doesn’t matter if bits stick to the pan.
Turn the heat to low, drop in the remaining 40g of butter and 2 tbsp of oil. Add the onion, carrot, fennel and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, dropping the garlic in for the last 2 minutes. Keep stirring until all the vegetables are softened.
Turn the heat back up to medium and add bay leaf, parsley and tomato puree. Cook for 1 minute stirring everything together then turn the heat to high and pour in brandy and bubble until evaporated. Add the tomatoes, paprika, cayenne pepper and fish stock. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes
Remove the bay leaf and blend in batches for 2-3 minutes. Take the stopper out and hold a tea towel over the hole. This will help release the steam when you blend. Alternatively you can leave the soup to cool a little before you blend.
Pass through a fine sieve pushing everything through and then pass again. Take your time with this stage working the mixture through the sieve.
Tip the soup into a clean pan and add the prawns, cook for 10 minutes then blitz again until smooth.
Ideal with:
Prawn bisque
Equipment
Ingredients
- 80g unsalted butter
- 800 g raw prawns with heads and in their shells
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 fennel bulb chopped and fronds reserved
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 stick celery chopped
- 1 clove garlic sliced
- 6 peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs parsley
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 50 ml brandy
- 4 ripe tomatoes chopped
- pinch paprika
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 ltr fish stock
Instructions
- Remove the heads and shells from the prawns and reserve. Keep the 200g of prawn flesh for this recipe and freeze the rest for another day.
- In a large pan melt 40g of butter with 1 tbsp of oil, when the butter starts to froth, add the shells and cook on a medium high heat for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally until they turn orange and smell fragrant. It doesn't matter if bits stick to the pan.
- Turn the heat to low, drop in the remaining 40g of butter and 2 tbsp of oil. Add the onion, carrot, fennel and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, dropping the garlic in for the last 2 minutes. Keep stirring until all the vegetables are softened.
- Turn the heat back up to medium and add bay leaf, parsley and tomato puree. Cook for 1 minute stirring everything together then turn the heat to high and pour in brandy and bubble until evaporated. Add the tomatoes, paprika, cayenne pepper and fish stock. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes
- Remove the bay leaf and blend in batches for 2-3 minutes. Take the stopper out and hold a tea towel over the hole. This will help release the steam when you blend. Alternatively you can leave the soup to cool a little before you blend.
- Pass through a fine sieve pushing everything through and then pass again. Take your time with this stage working the mixture through the sieve.
- Tip the soup into a clean pan and add the prawns, cook for 10 minutes then blitz again until smooth.Add some cream to serve
Comments (0)