Easy-Peasy Prawn Bisque
User Reviews
4.5
Easy-Peasy Prawn Bisque
Description
This recipe creates a flavorful prawn bisque by slowly simmering prawn shells and heads in chicken or fish stock with bay leaves, lemon peel, white peppercorns, garlic, and salt. After infusing the stock for 30 minutes, it is blended and strained to extract maximum flavor and remove shell fragments. Separately, onion and garlic are sautéed with smoked paprika, tomato paste, and sugar to add depth.
The prawn stock is combined with the sautéed mixture and simmered further, then the prawn meat is added and cooked through. The soup is blended again to achieve a very smooth and creamy consistency, finishing with cream, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to balance richness and brightness. Fresh parsley adds an herbal note when serving.
Ideal as a comforting starter or light meal, this bisque highlights the fresh prawn flavor with layered seasoning and a velvety texture. It requires some preparation of the shells for stock but the resulting broth is the foundation of the dish's distinctive taste.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2lbs) prawns Shells and heads remove, meat reserved
- 6 cups (1.5l) chicken stock or fish stock
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon white peppercorns whole
- 2 pieces lemon peel yellow part only
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic crushed, cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup cream
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- lemon juice of half
- parsley chopped, to serve, fresh
- 1.5 tablespoons flour to thicken if necessary, mixed with 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Place the prawn shells and heads in a pot and add the stock, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, lemon peel and garlic. Bring up to a boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, covered until the stock is well infused by the shells.
- After 30 minutes, blend with an immersion blender until as smooth as possible then run through a sieve and discard all of the shells.
- In a separate pot, melt a little butter and fry the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds before adding the smoked paprika, tomato paste and sugar.
- Allow to fry for 30 seconds then pour in the prawn stock.
- Cook for 20 minutes then add the prawn/shrimp meat and cook for a few minutes until the prawns are cooked through. Blend the soup until smooth. I do this in my high-powered blender to make sure it's very smooth but you can use any blender and then pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve again.
- Pour the strained/blended soup back into a pot set over medium heat. Pour in the cream and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Season to taste and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. At this point, if the soup seems too thin, whisk in some flour mixed with water and allow to cook until thickened. Serve the bisque with a swirl of cream and parsley. I fried some whole shrimp/prawns in a splash of oil to add to the top but this is optional.
- Season to taste and serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6as a starter/appetizer
Amount Per Serving
Calories 276 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 276kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 40g | 80% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 442mg | 147% |
| Sodium | 1782mg | 74% |
| Potassium | 410mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 325IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 9mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 269mg | 27% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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