Ever wonder what to do with a bunch of shrimp shells? Make a shrimp broth and turn it into this creamy shrimp and corn bisque. I love the bursts of sweetness from the fresh sweet corn, as well as the crunchiness from the little bits of celery.
I have to thank Emeril Lagasse for inspiring this recipe. He is my childhood celebrity chef hero and I finally got to eat at his restaurants in 2012 and in 2019. His restaurant served a version of shrimp bisque that changed my world. I loved how he incorporated little crunchy bits of goodies in his shrimp bisque. Kept things interesting with different textures to contrast the creaminess.
Creamy Shrimp and Corn Bisque
Creamy shrimp bisque with bits of corn and plump shrimp.
Ingredients
- 1 quart water
- shells of 2 lbs of shrimp
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 tbsp Penzey's seafood base
- 1 quart low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 ears corn corn kernels cut
- 1 stalk celery finely chopped; reserve for later
- 1 lb shrimp rough chopped
Instructions
- Peel shrimp. Save shrimp shells for the shrimp broth. Put away 1 lb of shrimp for later use and set aside 1 lb of shrimp for the bisque.
- Heat 1 quart of water until boiling. Add in shrimp shells. Boil on medium high for 30 minutes.
- Place a large stockpot on high heat. Add in oil. Add in onion, the 2 stalks of finely chopped celery, and carrots and saute 5 minutes. Add in garlic and tomato paste. Saute 1 more minute.
- Then add in white wine and seafood base. Mix well for 1 minute. Then add chicken broth and seafood base. Add in shrimp stock, chicken stock, Old Bay seasoning, Lawry's seasoned salt, and saffron. Simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are completely softened.
- Blend the soup in a blender until completely smooth. Then add in heavy whipping cream. Place in corn and simmer for 8 minutes. Then add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes until just cooked through. Add the 1 stalk of finely chopped celery. Adjust for seasoning and serve immediately.
