You’ll love this simple to make, rich, creamy Seafood Bisque; warm enticing taste is perfect for a hearty lunch or light dinner; combining seafood favorites such as shrimp, crab, mussels, and bottleneck clams with a rich deliciously creamy base that’s perfectly seasoned.

Can you believe that Bisque dates back to the 17th century? Culinary historians confirm that the early bisque recipes even included the pulverized shells of the featured crustaceans.  Bisque descended from pottage, which is a very thick soup mixture that resembles a puree. Most of all the early Bisque recipes call for crayfish or rock lobster.

What exactly is Bisque? Bisque is a smooth, creamy, highly-seasoned soup of French origin, classically made from a strained broth of the featured crustaceans. It can be made from lobster, crab, shrimp, or crayfish.

Seafood Bisque

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds lump crab meat
• 1 pound small crab claws, for serving
• 1 pound shrimp, cleaned shells & removed
• 24 mussels, cleaned
• 24 small neck clams, cleaned
• 1 1/2 quarts heavy cream
• 1 1/2 quart of vegetable broth
• 1 cup white wine (optional)
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, for serving
• 1 lemon for juicing
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• Kosher salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons white pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, sauté butter, celery, pimiento, and onion. Add white pepper, salt, garlic, and dill weed. Add broth, wine and gradually add heavy cream. Cook on very low heat, stirring constantly, until creamy.
2. While soup is cooking steam crab claws, clam, and mussels till done clams and mussels will open when they are done. Do not let the soup boil. When the soup is creamy, add crab meat and shrimp. Cook 8 min or less.When shrimp are have turned white and show no sign of transparency they are done.
3. In each serving dish the place clams and mussels, lightly squeeze fresh lemon juice over them,then ladle creamy bisque over them.
4. Garnish with Crab claw.
5. Serve with crusty bread and top with fresh chopped parsley.

© Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material or photos without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner are strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You may not copy and paste recipes to share on Social Platforms.