So good your knees will buckle under the weight of its greatness. Although, our version is easy enough to make that you might be willing to share it with a friend or two.
Ingredients
Seafood Stock Ingredients:
3-4 celery stalks, cut into 3 inch segments
6-7 medium carrots, peeled + cut into 3 inch segments
2 onions, peeled + quartered
1 large parnnip, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 head garlic, halved
8 oz frozen shrimp
8 oz crab claws
1 lb chicken wings
1 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp neutral oil
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
4-6 tarragon sprigs
6-8 parsley stems
2-3 bay leaves
1 pinch saffron threads
Crab Bisque Ingredients:
2 Tbsp neutral oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled + diced
1 celery stalk, diced
8 oz fresh lump crab
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ Cup tomato paste
Zest of 1 large orange
1 Cup dry white wine
1 quart Seafood Stock (see recipe above)
1 Tbsp red miso paste
¼ Cup white short grain rice
2 bay leaves
1 roasted red pepper, sliced
2 Tbsp heavy cream + more to garnish
To taste kosher salt
To taste freshly ground white pepper
8 oz steamed lump crab meat
1 sprig dill
1 tsp chopped tarragon
To taste finishing salt
To taste freshly ground black pepper
To taste high quality extra virgin olive oil
Method
Serves: 4-6
Seafood Stock Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 °F with convection fan on.
Combine the celery, carrots, onions, parsnip, garlic, shrimp, crab claws, and chicken wings in a large bowl.
Toss the mixture in salt and oil, then transfer them to a large rimmed baking sheet.
Roast the vegetables and seafood for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.
Once well browned, deglaze the sheet pan with about 1 cup of boiling water.
Carefully, transfer the roasted ingredients to a large stock pot. Fill the pot with just enough cold water to just cover the ingredients.
Add the peppercorns, tarragon, parsley, bay leaves, and saffron to the pot.
Partially cover and bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat.
Simmer the stock for 2-3 hours, then strain it through a fine mesh sieve. Use the stock immediately or chill the stock over an ice bath until it reaches 70 °F. Then refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Crab Bisque Method:
In a high-walled skillet, preheat the oil over medium heat.
Add the shallots, carrot, and celery to the skillet, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the fresh crab to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for an additional minute to combine the flavors.
Add the garlic, tomato paste, and orange zest to the skillet. Stir to combine and once again, cook for an additional minute or until a thick fond develops on the bottom of the skillet.
Deglaze the pan with white wine, then add the Seafood Stock, red miso paste, white rice, bay leaves, and red pepper.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, uncovered, and cook until the rice is well cooked, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat, discard the bay leaves, and transfer the soup to a high-powered blender. You may need to add the soup in multiple batches depending on the size of your blender. Add more seafood stock if the soup is too thick to blend.
Blend the soup for about 2 minutes or until it is completely smooth and velvety in texture.
Transfer the blended soup into a medium pot and reheat the soup to a simmer.
Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.
Season the soup to taste with salt and white pepper.
Prepare a mound of the steamed lump crab meat in the center of a serving dish.
Once again strain the soup and pour it around the crab meat mound.
Garnish with a sprig of dill, tarragon, a sprinkle of finishing salt, freshly ground black pepper, a drizzle of heavy cream, and extra virgin olive oil.