b.c. spot prawn smoothie

Just kidding….. it’s actually ‘B.C. Spot Prawn Bisque‘.

I love it when nice boys bring me shellfish. Not only is there the initial meal to be enjoyed, but roasting the left over shells provides the decadent starting point for simmering up a pot of bisque. One year ago, it was my pal, Pedro who brought over fresh lobster to share. Of course, the ensuing preparation of a ‘Lobster Bisque‘ was inevitable. Sunday night, it was my new friend, Blair who showed up at my door with a bag of still wiggling B.C. spot prawns. Their season is a short one (starts in May and lasts approximately 80 days), so get ‘em while you can!

Prawn Bisque

Stock:

heads and shells from 1 lb of prawns
2 1/2 litres cold water
1/2 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns

Preheat oven to 300* F. Scatter prawn heads and shells onto a cookie sheet. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. In a large pot, add shells, water and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, continuing to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain stock, reserving the liquid and discarding the rest. Set stock aside.

Bisque:

1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 T butter
2 T flour
1 litre of prawn stock (approx)
½ t salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 dashes of paprika
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 pinch of cayenne

1/2 cup half + half cream

Bring a large pot to medium heat and add olive oil. Next add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery and carrot, continuing to stir. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Melt in the butter and then sprinkle with flour. Stir for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Continue to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat on the stove. Pour soup into a blender in batches, filling blender about 2/3 full each time.

VERY IMPORTANT: Before blending, remove cap from inside of blender lid, leaving a hole exposed in the middle. Cover this hole with a tea towel (preferably one that is not your favourite, as it will get some soup splashed on it). The reason for this is to allow the hot steam to escape safely, so that you do not make a big mess and get a nasty burn. Strain blenderized soup through a sieve and return to pot. Stir in the cream. Serve immediately or allow to cool, refrigerate and serve later.