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Shrimp and Armagnac Bisque

Source of Recipe

From "Besh Big Easy" by John Besh


Recipe Introduction

"This soup's character comes from the shrimp heads and shells. Toasted, they're even more flavorful than the shrimp themselves. But a generous shot of Armagnac doesn't hurt."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  ¼ cup olive oil
â—¦  2 dozen medium wild American shrimp, peeled and deveined, heads and shells reserved
â—¦  ¼ cup flour
â—¦  1 onion, chopped
â—¦  1 stalk celery, chopped
â—¦  ¼ bell pepper, chopped
â—¦  4 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦  1 sprig fresh thyme
â—¦  1 teaspoon dried tarragon
â—¦  1 bay leaf
â—¦  2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
â—¦  ¼ cup Armagnac or other brandy
â—¦  6 cups shrimp stock or water
â—¦  2 cups heavy cream
â—¦  Big dash Worcestershire
â—¦  Big dash Tabasco
â—¦  Salt and pepper


Recipe

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the shrimp heads and shells and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir in well, then add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes more. Add the thyme, tarragon, bay leaf, and pepper flakes, stir well, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the Armagnac and shrimp and cook, stirring, for several minutes. Stir in the shrimp stock and heavy cream, raise the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 25 minutes more. Remove from the heat and discard the thyme sprig and bay leaf.

Purée the bisque in a blender.
Strain into bowls, season well with Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and pepper, and serve.

Serves 8 to 10