BLUE CRAB BISQUE

Blue Crab Bisque image

Blue crab bisque is classic New Orleans cuisine with serious French influences. Garnish with jumbo lump crabmeat for an authentic down-at-the-bayou bowl of soul.

Provided by Justin Devillier

Time 2h15m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

6 large blue crab shells, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 yellow onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 cup white wine
4 cups Water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 lemon
1 cup day-old bread cubes, divided, any white bread
kosher salt
ground white pepper
4 ounces lump blue crab meat, picked over
1/2 bunch chives

Steps:

Crabs: Preheat oven to 425 F. Place crabs on a roasting pan and bake in the oven about 30 minutes, until deep red and slightly browned. In a stockpot set over medium heat, add olive oil and roasted crabs, breaking them up with a wooden spoon as they cook, 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery (the "holy trinity" of Cajun cooking) and stir, cooking just till the vegetables soften, 5 minutes.
Stock: Add wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Turn heat to high and cook 6-8 minutes, until the wine has nearly evaporated. Add tomato paste and water. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer, 45 minutes.
Bisque: Remove the crab shells from the stock and discard. (If you miss a couple small pieces of shell, don't worry: they'll get strained out later.) Ladle the stock into the blender, then add the juice of half a lemon and ¾ cup bread cubes. Season with a big pinch of salt and a small pinch of pepper. Cover and let sit so the bread can absorb some of the liquid, 30-60 seconds. Blend on low speed (to avoid splattering hot liquid) for 30 seconds. As the soup blends, turn to high to emulsify, 1 more minute. Taste to adjust for seasoning and texture-the soup should coat the back of a spoon. Add remaining bread, small pinches of salt and pepper, and blend on high to further thicken and emulsify, 1½ more minutes. Taste again for seasoning, then strain through a chinois to remove any small shell pieces, using the back of a ladle to push the soup through into a bowl.
Assembly: Ladle bisque into individual serving bowls. Chop chives into ½-inch lengths (you should have about a ½ cup total). Garnish each bowl with crab meat and chives. Serve immediately.