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A white bowl filled with creamy orange seafood bisque garnished with fresh chives and pieces of crab.
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Crab and Shrimp Seafood Bisque

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 450kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
  • 8 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
  • 4 cups seafood stock
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery , finely diced
  • 1 large carrot , finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup all -purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay lea f
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1.5 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

Instructions

  • In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add shrimp shells and cook for 5 minutes until pink. Add seafood stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve stock; discard shells.
  • In the cleaned pot, melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté for 8 minutes until translucent.
  • Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 2 minutes until the paste is fragrant and darkens slightly.
  • Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to create a roux, ensuring it does not burn.
  • Deglaze the pot with dry sherry, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits.
  • Gradually whisk in the reserved seafood stock until smooth. Add thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
  • Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
  • Using an immersion blender, puree the soup base until completely smooth. For an extra-fine texture, pass the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve.
  • Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  • Add the raw shrimp to the pot and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until pink and opaque. Gently fold in the crab meat and heat through for 2 minutes.
  • Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh chives before serving.