Seafood Bisque

It should be noted that I’m not a fan of self-indulgent food blogs where the author tells their life story and some stupid blah-blah you have to scroll past just to get to a recipe.  I find that annoying, don’t you?  If you want stories, check out the rest of my blogs.  This is a recipe.

However, in the spirit of this actually BEING a blog, I will say that years ago, during my radio career, I was on a job interview at the Copper Cellar in Knoxville, TN and I ordered the Crab Bisque.  Folks, this was damned near 20 years ago and it STILL sticks with me.  Now, I live in Knoxville so why don’t I just GO there and get it?  Maybe I don’t want to sully the memory.  So, seeing someone post a recipe for crab and shrimp soup earlier on social media, I was inspired to shop and cook.  I crafted this recipe myself and I stand by it as one of the best things I’ve ever made, which is saying something.

Some thoughts:  Make it this way to start.  You’ll thank me.  But next time, play with it.  Add lobster or scallops.  Maybe some lumps of whitefish.  However you adjust it, please post your comments.  I would love to try you way too!

Happy hungries!

SEAFOOD BISQUE

Ingredients
1.5 sticks butter
½ cup chopped green onion
1 cup diced celery
1 small onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ½ quarts heavy whipping cream
2 cup coconut milk
8 oz Cream Cheese
2 tablespoon tomato paste
Crab meat (fresh, canned, etc.  Drained)
½ – 1 lb medium shrimp
2 cups Crawfish Tails
4 tablespoon sherry/white wine
1 tbsp ground white pepper
sea salt to taste

Directions
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-low heat; add the onion, garlic, chopped green onion and celery. Saute, stirring, until tender
Add shrimp, cook slightly until translucent, remove and set aside
Drain Crab, Crawfish, set aside
Blend 1 cup heavy cream into butter and vegetables until well incorporated
Warm 1 quart heavy cream in another saucepan over medium heat.
Slowly stir in the cream cheese and continue cooking and stirring until melted and thickened.
Add the white wine, pepper, tomato paste, and remaining heavy cream to the vegetables (transfer to a stock pot if needed).
If desired, puree the soup in a blender or food processor** at this point and then return it to the saucepan.
Stir in the crab, shrimp, and crawfish. Bring to a simmer.
Serve hot.

Feel free to add small cooked bay scallops or lobster instead of the shrimp.
Replace the onion with finely chopped shallots.
If desired, garnish the soup with thinly sliced green onion tops, French’s fried onion, or croutons (unless low carb). Or add a spoonful of crème fraiche and swirl it.