valentine's day recipe:

bisque

ingredients

crustacean carcasses 700 gm
butter 80 gm
onion 40 gm
carrot 40 gm
brandy 50 ml
flour 60 gm
tomato paste 40 gm
fish stock 1 lt
dry white wine 100 ml
cream 100 ml
bouquet garni sq

production

1. Thoroughly pulverise or crush the carcasses
2. Melt the butter in a thick bottom pan
3. Add the carcasses/meat and the mirepoix of vegetables
4. Sweat for 5 - 10 minutes without colouring
5. Add the brandy and flambé
6. Remove from the heat and add the flour and tomato paste, return to heat and cook out
7. Cool slightly and add the warmed stock and wine
8. Stir until smooth and bring to the boil, add the bouquet garni and seasoning
9. Simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally to prevent burning
10. Pass through a coarse strainer and then pass again through a fine strainer
11. Return soup to a clean pan, re-boil, correct seasoning and consistency.
12. Add cream at this final stage and 75 gms of butter may be whisked in to give a final enriching flavour
13. May be finished with chopped chives or shredded coriander, diced meat of the crayfish, prawn, etc may be used as a garnish or poached quenelles

chef notes:

Bisque was originally thickened by crumbling a type of cracker into the soup, the name bisque derives from the French word for this cracker or biscuit. This has long since been replaced with the use of a roux.

Bisques are traditionally made from crustaceans: lobster, crab etc. When made from large animals (lobster etc) only the shells would be used to extract the flavour and reduce costs, if making a prawn/shrimp bisque then the shells, the flesh or the whole crustacean may be used).

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