While I call this crawfish bisque, and it is, know that you can have equally good results with lobsters and crabs. Shrimp will also work, but they will not give you quite the same pretty orange color. This recipe takes a bit of time, but no part of it is especially difficult, and I will walk you through the steps below. Once you make the broth and butter, you can store them in the fridge for a week, or freeze them for up to 6 months. With these already made, the bisque itself comes together very quickly.
1/4poundcooked crawfish heads and shells from the tails
1/2poundunsalted butter
1tablespoonbrandy
CRAWFISH BROTH
3to 4 pounds crawfish heads and shells from tails
1/4cupsafflower,grapeseed or other neutral oil
1fennel bulb,chopped with fronds
2large carrots,chopped
2cupschopped onion
4garlic cloves,chopped
1ouncedried matsutake mushrooms(optional)
1 6-ouncecan tomato paste
1cupdry vermouth
5bay leaves
BISQUE
6tablespoonscrawfish butter, divided(see above)
1/3cupchopped onion
2tablespoonsvermouth or brandy
5cupscrayfish broth(see above)
1/3cuprice
1poundcrawfish meat
2tablespoonsheavy cream,or to taste
Salt to taste
Chopped dill,parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
BUTTER
To make the crawfish butter, smash the shells to a pulp. This can be done in a mortar and pestle, or in a strong blender or food processor -- or with a mallet in a bowl. You really want to mash everything well so you get more flavor from the shells.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the shells to it. Cover and put into a 170°F oven and let this cook for 90 minutes, stirring now and again. Strain the butter through a fine-meshed sieve that has a paper towel set inside it; this filters all the debris out.
Pour into a container and let it cool. TIP: For long storage, let the butter solidify and pop it out of the container, leaving behind the gellified liquid at the bottom of the container. Leaving this in contact with the butter over time can make it got rancid.
BROTH
To make the broth, heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the crawfish shells and smash them to bits with a potato masher. Crush and stir them as they cook until they are all in pieces. Let this cook for a few minutes, then mix in the fennel, carrot and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Mix in the garlic, dried mushrooms and tomato paste. Turn the heat as high as it will go and stir-fry this for 2 minutes.
Add the vermouth and stir well. Let this boil for 1 minute, then add enough cool water to cover the shells by 1 inch. Add the bay leaves and let this simmer gently for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Do not let it boil.
Strain the broth by pouring it through a fine-meshed sieve with a paper towel set inside. Set aside or chill quickly and store.
BISQUE
Heat 2 tablespoons crawfish butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onion until soft and translucent. Do not let it brown. Pour in the vermouth or brandy and let this boil for a minute.
Add the rice and crawfish broth and bring it to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the rice is soft, about 25 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Pour the soup into a blender along with 1/4 pound of crayfish meat. Puree, in batches if you need to.
Wipe out the soup pot and return the pureed soup to it. Heat the bisque over medium-low heat just to the steaming point. Add the rest of the crawfish meat and heat for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the heavy cream, then stir in the remaining crayfish butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Serve at once, garnished with the herbs.
Notes
Serve this with crusty bread and a green salad as a main course, or as part of a larger meal. Cajuns make a slightly different version of this bisque and serve it with a spoonful of rice in the center of the bowl, which is another serving option.