Leftover Shrimp: Bisque

We live in a rural area, and usually can't find specialty ingredients to play with. This means that when the craving for seared foie gras with cherry compote hits, the only course of action is to take a cold shower. The raw and windy weather recently put us in the mood for some seafood stew. We looked longingly at the 823-step Julia Child recipe for lobster bisque, but went in a different direction using some of the only reliable seafood we can get here – bags of flash-frozen shrimp.

Shrimp Bisque

½ pound shrimp, cleaned, deveined, and shells on
15-20 extra shrimp shells (when using shrimp for stir-fries, we toss the shells into a bag in the freezer)
¼ cup brandy (E&J is fine)
¼ cup dry sherry
2 tbl tomato paste
1 cup half and half
½ cup whole milk
4 tbl flour
4 tbl plus ½ tbl butter
2 medium shallots, chopped finely
1 tbl olive oil
½ tsp cayenne pepper

1. Slowly sauté shallots with the olive oil and ½ tablespoon butter. Add a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook until they appear light purple and are soft. Add cayenne pepper.
2. Turn heat up and add tomato paste. Fry tomato paste for a minute or so, until the smell coming from the pot is very tomato-ey.
3. Add the shrimp. Cook until they curl up and are turning pink. Add the brandy and cook until it evaporates, then add the sherry and cook until it evaporates. Take the pot off the heat and cool.
4. Take the shells off the shrimp. Return the shrimp meat to the tomato mixture, and put the shells plus the extra shells from the freezer into another saucepan. Cover with 2 cups of water and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Drain the shrimp stock, discard the shells, and add the stock to the shrimp mixture. Put this mixture in batches into the food processor. Process until smooth, with only a little bit of chunkiness from the shrimp.
5. In another pot, cook the 4 tablespoons of butter with the flour until the floury smell is gone. Add the half and half and milk, and bring to the boil, or until it has thickened.
6. Add the shrimp mixture, stirring vigorously, and bring the bisque almost to a boil. Taste for seasoning.

We slurped with chopped scallions and croutons baked with garlic and thyme. The next day it made a great dip for crackers.