Description
Rich, creamy crab bisque delights seafood enthusiasts with its luxurious blend of succulent crab meat and velvety broth. Elegant French coastal flavors shine through this comforting dish you’ll savor with pure culinary pleasure.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1.25 pounds cooked crabmeat
- 4–6 cups crab shells
- 1.25 cups heavy cream
- 0.75 cup dry white wine
- 0.5 cup dry white wine
Aromatic Vegetables and Herbs:
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 0.33 cup chopped shallots
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3–4 fresh parsley sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
Seasoning and Other Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 0.25 cup white rice
- 10–15 whole peppercorns
- 2.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 0.125 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Carefully fragment crab shells into smaller fragments and roast in a preheated oven at 400F for 10 minutes to intensify and develop deep flavor profiles.
- Submerge roasted shell fragments with fresh water, heating gently until barely simmering. Maintain steady temperature around 180F for precisely 60 minutes, consistently removing foam accumulation with a fine mesh skimmer.
- Enrich stock base by introducing white wine, diced aromatic vegetables, fragrant herbs, and complementary seasonings. Allow mixture to simmer delicately for 30 minutes, then meticulously strain through cheesecloth to extract pure liquid essence.
- Sauté finely chopped shallots in rich butter until translucent and soft. Deglaze pan with white wine, then incorporate prepared stock, short-grain rice, and concentrated tomato paste. Gently simmer until rice becomes perfectly tender and absorbs surrounding flavors.
- Incorporate majority of delicate crab meat into simmering liquid, using immersion blender to transform mixture into silky smooth consistency. Finish by folding in heavy cream and reserved crab pieces, seasoning judiciously with sea salt and subtle cayenne pepper for nuanced heat.
Notes
- Boost Shell Flavor Roasting crab shells before making stock intensifies the seafood’s natural sweetness and creates deeper, more complex taste profiles.
- Stock Temperature Control Maintaining a gentle simmer around 180F prevents protein breakdown and keeps the stock clear and pure without becoming cloudy or bitter.
- Texture Enhancement Adding rice during cooking helps naturally thicken the bisque while providing subtle body and silky smooth consistency.
- Dietary Adaptation For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with coconut milk or Greek yogurt to reduce calories while maintaining rich, creamy texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg