Joe's Maryland Shrimp Bisque

Submitted by Dee Licious

"My husband's amazing creation... Shrimp, cream, sherry - how can you go wrong with that combo? Warning this is HIGHLY addictive, especially when paired with homemade Cuban bread."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 19 10 oz servings
• Serves: 19

ingredients

• 4 lbs shrimp (with heads on)
• 4 quarts half-and-half
• 1⁄4 lb butter
• 3 large shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 cup sherry wine

directions

1. Pull heads off shrimp.
2. In 4 quart saucepan put 2 cans chicken broth.
3. Put shrimp heads in saucepan with broth.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minute.
6. Remove shrimp heads and discard.
7. Reduce liquid (to aprox 12 oz).
8. In frying pan saute thinly sliced shallots and crushed garlic with 1 tbsp butter then turn off heat.
9. Pour reduced chicken stock (from #7) in 8 quart stock pot then add shallots & garlic and stir, then slowly add sherry and stir, then add half and half while stirring and remaining butter.
10. Add all spices and turn burner on low.
11. Clean and de-vein shrimp then cut shrimp in half.
12. Add shrimp to soup.
13. Turn heat up a little (no more than 170 degrees - will curdle if heat is too high. If it does curdle strain out shrimp and put soup in blender and blend on high until re-mixed and smooth then pour back in pot and add shrimp again) and cook for 1 hour stirring occasionally.
14. Serve and enjoy!

Reviews

[livingstonfran]

I just wanted to say thank you to Joe for this recipe. My husband loves shrimp in any form and I wanted to do something special for him. He absolutely loved this soup. I could not believe that I could not buy shrimp with heads on to make the shrimp broth. Since I did not have the heads to stew with the shells, I added some more vegetables to the broth that Emril uses in his broth. I used onion, carrot, celery, leeks, and shallots. I also used a full teaspoon of the herbs listed. I tasted the broth after 50 minutes and found that I had to add salt but I did not use as much as stated in the recipe due to our dietary concerns. I continued to reduce the liquid because I had more than what the recipe called for. This helped the flavor and at the end when I added the extra sauteed celery, onion, garlic and shallots, I added a tablespoon of Better than Bullion Chicken Base. Once the shrimp( on which I seasoned with Old Bay) were added, the soup tasted wonderful. My husband and I made this together and we both enjoyed making it and eating it. Thank you again. This one is a keeper.