By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- About 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- 5(308)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This recipe calls for using the peels of the shrimp to make the rich and fragrant broth base of the soup, a purée rich with fennel and leeks and dotted with tiny plump morsels of shrimp.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 1pound medium or large uncooked shrimp, shelled, shells reserved
- 6tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
- ⅔cup dry white wine
- 2tablespoons brandy
- 3thyme sprigs
- 1bay leaf
- 2celery ribs, chopped
- 2large leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
- 2garlic cloves, chopped
- 1fennel bulb, finely chopped, fronds reserved for garnish
- ¼cup long-grain rice
- 2tablespoons tomato paste
- Pinch cayenne
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
271 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 525 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Preparation
Step
1
In a large pot over high heat, cook shrimp shells in 1 tablespoon butter and ¼ teaspoon salt, stirring frequently, until lightly browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Add wine and brandy and boil until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add 6 cups water, thyme and bay leaf and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain shrimp stock into a bowl, pressing on shells before discarding them.
Step
2
In same pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter with ¼ teaspoon salt. Add shrimp and sauté until they are pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending on size. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a bowl.
Step
3
Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to pot along with celery, leeks, garlic and fennel and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, tomato paste, cayenne and remaining salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Add shrimp stock and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Step
4
Set aside 4 to 6 nice-looking shrimp and stir remainder into bisque; let cook for 2 minutes. Working carefully and in batches, pour bisque into a blender and process to a smooth purée or pulse to a chunky mixture, as you like. (You may use an immersion blender to purée soup.) Return bisque to pot. Stir in the lemon juice and additional salt to taste. Reheat if necessary before serving. Garnish each bowl with a shrimp and a piece of fennel frond.
Ratings
5
out of 5
308
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Cooking Notes
Malia, Madison, WI
I've been using shrimp shells for broth for awhile but I adopted Melissa's technique this time and liked it I didn't have brandy so I just skipped it. Consequently, the flavor wasn't punchy enough so I added about 1-2 tsp of old bay seasoning which helped a lot. Fennel was a good touch. I still prefer sherry wine over white. Quick and easy to make.
Duncan McBride
This recipe is a real winner. The suggestion to use Old Bay is great, and if you like it spicy you can increase the cayenne. I use an immersion blender to get the texture just the way we like it. Next time I'll chop the remaining shrimp and put them in well enough before serving to heat through. Absolutely great flavor!
dimmerswitch
*Great recipe in particular for people like my husband who enjoy bisque textures but not the dairy usually in them.*Made this several times all with good outcome. As deviation from instructions, we prefer using immersion blender to puree soup BEFORE adding in chopped shrimp then proceed to add in shrimp & finish.*Sub Dungeness crab for shrimp & you'll have a dish similar to Scottish Partan Bree - delicious variation. Use crab shell for stock, crab meat in the bisque.
pb
add Old Bay seasoningchop shrimp, puree some, add remaining shrimp after pureeing
Blair
Add old bay and smoked paprika and black pepper. Cut shrimp into pieces. Blend with only a few of the shrimp pieces.
Luka
This is a very good recipe. I found myself with two pounds of shrimp and did not want to double the recipe. I followed the recipe with some modifications. With the extra shrimp, I added another fennel bulb, a tiny bit more butter and wine. In the home stretch it was good, but just a little bit starchy. I added a cup and a half of cream which heightened it quite a bit. I encrusted the garnish shrimp with Old Bay but none in the bisque itself. It takes a couple hours to make.
Leanne
Great flavor! This was a hit with the family. Couldn’t get fennel, so I added a couple tablespoons of Herbsaint liqueur and increased the celery and leeks.
Amanda
This was a huge hit. I made mine with crab broth which tasted great, and then added the crab meat, shrimp, scallops, and mussels. I found it to be thinner than I'd prefer, I think from the vegetable sweating, but I just added some extra spice and tomato paste and it turned out fine. I agree that it needs more spice to it. I added more cayenne (we like it hot), smoked paprika, and Old Bay. It seems sacrilegious not to add Old Bay to something like this!
gema&eddy
We are foodies who are learning to cook our favorite restaurant dishes and this is one of them. We used shrimp with heads on and followed this recipe — delish! There was a real depth of flavor. I was resisting the rice but decided to make the recipe as is and then tweak as needed. I had some basmati and it looked like a risotto when it was done. You can actually serve it without puréeing which is what we should have done. The flavor was amazing but the texture… will tweak as necessary.
Mary D
Delicious. I wound up adding some Old Bay as well.
LG
This was the first time I’ve attempted shrimp bisque and I selected this recipe due to its high rating and the fact that I tend to enjoy this author’s other recipes. However, it turned out horribly. Not seasoned nearly enough, the texture of the bisque even after using my immersion blender for a good five minutes was gross, and the fennel gave it a nasty flavor. I’ll keep looking for another shrimp bisque. Wouldn’t recommend this one and can’t for the life of me understand why others liked it.
Erica
Added some onion instead of fennel, whole peeled tomatoes, jalapeño, and heavy cream, plus a little pepper. Used immersion blender until almost smooth. Delicious.
Liza
Loved this recipe so much. I didn’t add rice because I wanted it to be less carb heavy & the texture was still perfect. This recipe tasted fancy & high end. Will become a new holiday staple.
pb
add Old Bay seasoningchop shrimp, puree some, add remaining shrimp after pureeing
Blair
Add old bay and smoked paprika and black pepper. Cut shrimp into pieces. Blend with only a few of the shrimp pieces.
Steven
Tasty soup, with these alterations:— only had about 2 teaspoons of tomato paste, so I added about 3/4 cup of chopped tomato from a can.— added a heaping tsp of old bay to the fennel as it cooked— chopped garlic and fennel in the food processor, but not the leek. As I cooked the leek/fennel, I used a bit of sherry with it.— subbed butter for olive oil, which I did not measure but used when necessary— no lemon juice at the end— used 1 cup sherry instead of white— no celery
Jim P
Malia, Madison, WI 3 years agoI've been using shrimp shells for broth for awhile but I adopted Melissa's technique this time and liked it I didn't have brandy so I just skipped it. Consequently, the flavor wasn't punchy enough so I added about 1-2 tsp of old bay seasoning which helped a lot. Fennel was a good touch. I still prefer sherry wine over white. Quick and easy to make.Duncan McBride3 years agoThis recipe is a real winner. The suggestion to use Old Bay is great, and if you like it sp
Marilyn Munk
Made this for New Year’s Eve 2020. Really delicious- used immersion blender. Don’t forget to add lemon Nd cayenne at end
Dennis
Solidly enjoyable from winter veg. A doubled recipe fits into a seven quart stock pot/Dutch oven. I cut back on the butter a bit and still found it satisfyingly rich. I'm hoping it'll be a good freezer food for quick meals. I suspect shrimp with the heads would make a more flavorful stock.
Dennis
Does this freeze well?
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