Thai-themed shrimp bisque

I devised this recipe in an attempt to replicate a soup I had at a restaurant.

1 lb shell-on shrimp, heads on too if possible, size doesn’t matter but not tiny
3 TB olive oil
1c finely diced onion
1/2 c each finely diced celery and carrots
1 TB minced fresh ginger
1 TB minced garlic
2 TB tomato paste
1/4 c brandy (optional)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 TB paprika
2 c chicken stock
1/2 c raw white rice
1c canned unsweeted coconut milk
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 c fresh cilantro, diced
1/4 c scallion tops, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the shrimp. Simmer until just done, 2-3 minutes, then drain and reserve the liquid. When cool enough to handle, shell and behead the shrimp. Set the shrimp aside and return the shells and heads to the pot with the reserved liquid. Bring to a simmer for a few more minutes then strain thru a fine sieve. Discard the shells and reserve the stock.

In a heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, celery, and carrots until just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for a another few minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until thoroughly mixed. If using the brandy, add to the pot, stir, and ignite with a match (keep your face back!). When the flames die down, add the reserved shrimp stock and the next 7 ingredients, bay leaves through rice. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely dice 1/3 of the shrimp and cut the remainder into pieces about 1/2 inch in size.

When the simmering is finished, add the finely diced shrimp, the coconut milk, and the cayenne pepper to the soup. Use an immersion blender to finely puree the soup (or do it in batches in a regular blender). Return to the pan and correct for salt, if needed. Add the remaining shrimp and heat through. Serve the the cilantro and scallions sprinkled on top.

Explore posts in the same categories: Seafood, Soups