Shrimp Bisque for a Special Valentine's Day Dinner

We'll be on a little get away this Valentine's Day but I wanted to share a delicious recipe that would be perfect for a special dinner with your honey.  I made this for New Year's Eve and Wonderful Hubby enjoyed it so much he made me promise I'd make it again.

I found the recipe, Shrimp Bisque with Sherry, at MoreThanGourmet.com and it is so rich and luxurious!

I made the bisque base the day before and chilled it until I was ready to finish it up the next day but you could make it all on the same day.  It has several steps but nothing is difficult or complicated and is SO worth the effort!  It's quite rich, so if you're serving it as a first course, plan a lighter entrée.

Ingredients

Serves  6-8

• 1 pound uncooked medium to large shrimp (31-40 count), peeled, shells reserved
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced peeled carrots
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 1/2 cups canned Roma tomatoes
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 ounces Glace de Fruits de Mer Gold® dissolved in 8 cups hot water                           

                (I just used 8 cups of fish stock)

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Make the bisque base: Add the butter and 5 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to a stockpot over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the oil/butter mixture is hot, add the shells from shrimp and the celery, carrots, and onion.  Cook, stirring, about 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the flour and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, 4-6 minutes. Pour in the wine, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom of stockpot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the diluted Glace de Fruits de Mer Gold® and bring the base to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove the base from the heat. Purée it with a hand-held blender (or in batches in a countertop blender) until smooth. Set the bisque base aside.
4. Warm the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in second stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes, until they change color and curl slightly. Reserve 6-8 shrimp to use as a garnish.
5. Strain the bisque base into the second stockpot, using an extra-fine mesh strainer to remove all solids, including shell remnants. Discard the solids and keep the first stockpot to use in step 6. Stir to combine the shrimp and the bisque base and set the mixture aside.
6. Mix the heavy cream and sherry in the first stockpot. Add shrimp/bisque base mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes, until heated through. Season to taste with salt.
7. Serve the bisque in warmed bowls, garnished with a whole shrimp and a sprinkling of parsley. 

HOUSE UPDATE -
 We have been very busy the last several weeks visiting with different contractors and looking at flooring, cabinets and brick.  Our foundation man says he'll be ready to start in about three weeks, depending on the weather!!  Since WH wants to be around throughout the building process, we've decided to head south for several days now and try to relax a bit. 

I hope you and your sweetie have a delightful Valentine's Day! 

 Linking to:

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