Rich and Deep Shrimp Bisque Sauce
Elevate Your Cooking! The Secret to an Incredibly Flavorful Shrimp Bisque Sauce
A staple in French cuisine, shrimp bisque sauce is essentially a deeply concentrated broth made from the shells and heads of crustaceans. It forms the base for luxurious dishes like creamy shrimp bisque soup. The magic lies in simmering these parts to extract their inherent umami. While lobster bisque is famously known, this shrimp version offers an equally exquisite depth of flavor. Discover how to create this restaurant-quality sauce in your own kitchen!
Ingredients
- Shrimp, heads separated, shells removed, deveined 640g
- Olive oil 40ml
- Onion or shallots, finely chopped 50g
- Minced garlic, 2 cloves worth
- Fresh parsley stems, 3 sprigs
- Fresh thyme sprigs, 1 sprig
- Bay leaf, 1
- Tomato paste 20g
- Canned whole tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, chopped 200g
- Cognac or whiskey 30ml
- Dry white wine 20ml
- Water or chicken/vegetable stock 300ml
- Paprika powder, 2 pinches
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, separate the shrimp heads from the bodies. For the bodies, peel off the shells, reserving them. Devein the shrimp by making a shallow cut along the back. Set aside the shrimp meat.
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp heads first. Don’t stir them immediately; allow them to heat up gradually as the pot warms. This helps in releasing their flavor.
Step 3
Once the shrimp heads have started to heat up, add the chopped shallots (or onion) and sauté until softened and translucent. Then, stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Step 4
Carefully pour in the cognac (or whiskey). Let it bubble and cook for a moment. For safety, you can turn off the heat before adding the alcohol, then relight it.
Step 5
Turn the heat back up and let it simmer for about 2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate and the flavors to concentrate. As the liquid reduces slightly, use the back of a spoon or a masher to gently crush the shrimp heads, releasing their juices. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 6
Add the chopped tomatoes (or canned tomatoes) and cook, stirring occasionally. Once the tomatoes have softened, stir in the tomato paste. Be sure to stir constantly to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot as it cooks.
Step 7
Toss in the parsley stems, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf to infuse their aroma. Pour in the water or chicken/vegetable stock. The liquid should just about cover the shrimp parts.
Step 8
Cover the pot and simmer over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or even up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld and deepen. Check after about 30 minutes to ensure it hasn’t reduced too much. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed before turning off the heat.
Step 9
Traditionally, all ingredients are blended and then strained through a fine-mesh sieve. I’ve opted for a slightly simpler method: I strained the liquid through a sieve for about 15 minutes, pressing gently to extract as much liquid as possible without blending everything.
Step 10
This concentrated liquid is the essence of the shrimp! If you blend everything before straining, you’ll achieve an even richer and thicker bisque. Use this flavorful sauce as a base for soups, pasta dishes, risottos, and more.
