Ingredients:
For the bisque base:
Butter: 3 tbsp
Onion: 1/2 small, finely diced
Celery: 1 stalk, finely diced
Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
Tomato paste: 1 tbsp – gives that orange color
Flour: 2 tbsp
Seafood stock or chicken broth: 3 cups
Heavy cream: 1 cup
Milk: 1/2 cup
Old Bay seasoning: 1 tsp
Paprika: 1/2 tsp
Salt & Pepper: to taste
Cayenne: pinch – optional
For the seafood:
Shrimp: 1/2 lb, peeled, deveined, chopped
Lump crab meat: 8 oz, picked over for shells
White wine: 1/4 cup – optional but adds depth
For topping:
Fresh chives or parsley: 2 tbsp, chopped
Crusty bread: for serving
Instructions:
Make the roux
Melt butter in a large pot. Add onion + celery and sauté 4 mins till soft.
Add garlic + tomato paste, cook 1 min.
Sprinkle in flour and stir 1 min to make a roux.
Build the broth
Slowly whisk in seafood stock. Add white wine if using.
Stir in Old Bay, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 mins.
Make it creamy
Whisk in heavy cream + milk. Simmer on LOW 5 mins. Don’t boil or cream can split.
Add seafood
Add shrimp and cook 3-4 mins till pink.
Gently fold in crab meat and cook 2 more mins just to heat through. Don’t overcook or crab gets tough.