French Prawn bisque recipe
Prawn bisque is a rich, creamy French seafood soup made from prawn shells, vegetables, and cream. It’s elegant, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make!
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pot
- Fine Mesh Strainer or Chinois
- Bowls and laddles
Ingredients
For the Stock:
- Prawn shells & heads from 600g whole prawns
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 shallot chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 –4 parsley stems
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups water
For the Bisque:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tbsp flour for thickening
- ¼ cup dry sherry or cognac optional but adds depth!
- ½ cup double cream or heavy cream
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika optional twist!
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 150 g prawn meat chopped (from above prawns)
Instructions
Make the Flavour-Packed Stock
- In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté prawn shells and heads until pink and fragrant — about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, shallot, garlic, carrot, celery, bay leaf, parsley stems, and peppercorns. Cook for 3–4 mins.
- Pour in white wine, deglaze, then add water. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Press down to extract all liquid gold. Discard solids.
Build the Bisque Base
- In a clean pot, melt butter with olive oil. Sauté shallot and garlic until soft (not browned).
- Stir in flour to form a roux. Cook for 1–2 mins, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the hot prawn stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10–12 mins until thickened slightly.
Final Flavor Boost
- Add the chopped prawn meat and cook gently for 3 mins.
- Pour in the sherry or cognac. Simmer for 2 more mins.
- Stir in cream, paprika, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Heat gently (do not boil).
Blend (Optional but Luxe)
- If you want a smoother texture, use an immersion blender or blend and strain again before adding all prawns, add just little prawns and blend it for flavor and the rest just pan roast in butter with some dried herbs and serve on top of the soup.
Notes
- Don’t skip roasting the prawn shells – it’s where all the deep flavor comes from.
- Deglaze thoroughly with wine to lift those golden flavor bits.
- Blend hot liquids carefully – never fill the blender more than halfway!
- Strain for smoothness – once for rustic, twice for restaurant-quality.
- Season at the end – flavors intensify as it simmers, so don’t oversalt early.
- Freeze the shells if you want to make bisque later – sustainable and smart!
- Use cold butter at the end for a glossy finish.
- A splash of brandy or cognac = elegance in a bowl!