3 Michelin star "Shrimp Bisque" | The French Laundry

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: coconut milk

💰Cheaper: whole milk

Coconut milk offers creaminess with fewer calories.

cognac

🥗Healthier: white wine

💰Cheaper: dry vermouth

White wine adds acidity without the high cost.

shrimp

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: canned crab

Canned crab provides seafood flavor at a lower price.

fish stock

🥗Healthier: vegetable stock

💰Cheaper: water with fish sauce

Vegetable stock maintains flavor while being lighter.

To make the shrimp stock, heat a wide pan over high heat and add 60 g of clarified butter.

To make clarified butter, add 12 oz of whole butter to a pot and cook it low and slow, skimming the top once the bubbles subside.

Add 1000 g of shrimp shells to the pot and sauté until a light brown fond develops, about 5 minutes.

Add 100 g of cold cubed butter and cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes.

Push the shells to one side of the pot and add 600 g of San Marzano tomatoes with the juice, scraping the bottom to release the fond for about a minute.

Add 240 g of carrots in thick rounds and 15 g of tarragon, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add 4 quarts (about 4 L) of water and bring to a boil, scraping the fond from the bottom of the pot.

Turn the heat down to a low gentle simmer, reducing the stock by 25% for about 25 minutes.

Strain the stock using a China cap and extract as much flavor as possible from the shells, discarding the shells afterward.

Continue to reduce the stock until you have 1500 g (about 1.5 quarts).

Place the stock over an ice bath to chill quickly, storing it in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To make the Shrimp Bisque, heat a wide pot on high heat until it starts to smoke, then add 100 g of clarified butter and 625 g of shrimp shells.

Cook the shells until they start to turn golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with 125 g of Armagnac (substituted with Cognac) and scrape the fond from the bottom of the pot.

Turn the heat back on to medium and add 210 g of diced onion, 125 g of thinly sliced carrots, 140 g of thinly sliced button mushrooms, and 90 g of sliced leeks.

Add 1500 g of shrimp stock and bring to a boil, scraping any fond from the bottom of the pan.

Add 3 sprigs of thyme, 5 bay leaves, 315 g of diced tomatoes, and 315 g of cream, then reduce to a simmer over low heat for 40 to 45 minutes or until the stock has reduced by 1/3.

Strain the bisque, discarding the shells and using a clean pot to return the stock to heat.

Add 50 g of Koshihikari rice and cook over high heat, skimming away the starch that floats to the top, reducing until you have 850 g of bisque, which takes about 30 minutes.

Blend the bisque until smooth, adding 50 g of whole butter, 5 g of lemon juice, and 17.5 g of Cognac, then blend again.

Add 1 g of xanthan gum with 50 g of water and blend until fully hydrated, removing all air from the bisque using a vacuum container if possible.

Strain the bisque into a clean pot, checking seasoning and adjusting with more Cognac, lemon juice, or salt as needed.

For the brioche croutons, remove the crust from a slice of brioche bread and cut into 1/2 inch dice.

Heat 100 g of clarified butter in a sauté pan with a sprig of thyme and a smashed garlic clove, then add the brioche cubes.

Cook over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping once until golden brown, then place on a paper towel and season with salt immediately.

For the leeks, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the leeks for 5 minutes or until tender, then transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking.

Slice the leeks on a 45° bias and coat lightly with olive oil.

To plate, use two spoons to canel caviar and place in the center of the bowl, then add five leeks, five croutons, and small tarragon leaves on top.

Carefully pour the warmed bisque in between the caviar and garnish.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens