Creamy Crab Shrimp Bisque (Print Version)
A velvety French-American bisque with tender crab and succulent shrimp, perfect 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 Steps:
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 sweet paprika; cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently to develop color.
03 - Pour in the sherry or white wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let 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 depth of flavor.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, purée the mixture until completely smooth and velvety. Return to the pot if transferred.
06 - Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream. Bring back to a gentle simmer without boiling to prevent curdling.
07 - Add the lump crab meat and chopped shrimp. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
08 - Adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
09 - Ladle into warm bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly silky without needing any fancy thickeners or cornstarch tricks
- It comes together in about an hour but tastes like something from a coastal restaurant
02 -
- Never let the bisque come to a hard boil after adding the cream or it will break and look curdled
- Picking through the crab meat for shell fragments is tedious but absolutely necessary because nothing ruins a spoonful like crunching on shell
03 -
- Use half and half instead of heavy cream if you want a lighter version that still feels indulgent
- Homemade seafood stock made from shrimp shells changes the entire depth of this bisque and is worth the extra twenty minutes