Creamy Crab And Shrimp Bisque (Printable)
A luxurious velvety bisque with tender crab and succulent shrimp for cozy evenings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 8 oz lump crab meat
02 - 8 oz large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
07 - 1 small carrot, finely chopped
08 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
→ Liquids
09 - 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
10 - 3 cups seafood or fish stock
11 - 1 cup heavy cream
12 - 1 cup whole milk
→ Seasonings
13 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
14 - 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
15 - 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
18 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
→ Optional
19 - Lemon wedges, for serving
# How to Prepare:
01 - Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and sauté until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes.
02 - Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, Old Bay seasoning, and paprika, stirring frequently for another 2 minutes to develop flavor.
03 - Pour in the sherry or wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
04 - Add the seafood stock and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes to build a rich base.
05 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, purée the mixture until completely smooth. Return to the pot if transferred to a standard blender.
06 - Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream. Bring back to a gentle simmer without boiling to prevent curdling.
07 - Add the crab meat and chopped shrimp. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
08 - Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The velvety texture feels like something from a restaurant but comes together in one pot with no fancy techniques
- The combination of crab and shrimp gives you two layers of sweet seafood flavor in every spoonful
02 -
- Boiling the cream mixture is the fastest way to ruin the texture, so keep it at a bare simmer with just small bubbles breaking the surface
- Blending hot soup without venting the blender lid can cause it to explode outward, which I learned by repainting my ceiling with bisque
03 -
- Pick through the crab meat over a dark plate so you can spot any translucent shell pieces that would ruin an otherwise perfect spoonful
- Adding a tiny pinch of cayenne alongside the paprika wakes up the flavors without making it spicy