Recipes Soups Cream Soups Bisque French Seafood Bisque with Baguette 4.0 (8) 6 Reviews The freshest seafood—preferably sourced from your local fishmonger—is the highlight of this velvety-smooth bisque. Take care to cook each type as directed to preserve its delicate flavor and texture. This resourceful recipe uses every last bit of your briny haul to yield a rich seafood stock that enhances this thick, soppable soup. By Jamila Robinson Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients 1 small yellow onion, halved, divided 3 small celery stalks, divided 5 cups water, plus more if needed 1 fresh or dried bay leaf ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste 8 ounces unpeeled raw extra-large shrimp 4 ounces Prince Edward Island (PEI) mussels, scrubbed and debearded 4 ounces bay scallops, side muscles removed and reserved 3 ounces cleaned small squid tubes and tentacles, tubes cut into 1/4-inch rings, tentacles left whole ¼ cup olive oil or unsalted butter 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped (about ½ cup) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh thyme ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste 3 medium garlic cloves, smashed ½ cup heavy cream Baguette, for serving Directions Cut 1 onion half into 4 wedges, leaving root end attached. Cut 1 celery stalk in half crosswise; set remaining onion and celery aside. Combine onion wedges, celery halves, 5 cups water, bay leaf, black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Fill a medium bowl with ice water; set aside. Add shrimp to boiling water mixture in saucepan; cook until opaque and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to prepared ice bath. Add mussels to saucepan; cook until mussels open, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mussels to ice bath, discarding any mussels that did not open. Add scallops and squid to saucepan; cook until scallops and squid rings turn opaque, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer scallops and squid to ice bath. Reserve water mixture in saucepan. Remove shrimp and mussels from ice water, and drain in a colander. Peel shrimp, and shuck mussels, reserving some mussels in shells for garnish, if desired; reserve shrimp and mussel shells. Add reserved shells and reserved scallop side muscles to water mixture in saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces to about 3 cups, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, remove remaining seafood from ice bath; pat dry, and set aside. Remove saucepan with seafood mixture from heat; pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large heatproof bowl, and discard solids. Set strained stock aside. Wipe saucepan clean. Roughly chop remaining onion half and remaining 2 celery stalks, keeping separate. Add oil to cleaned saucepan; heat over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in celery and carrots; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened but not browning, 4 to 6 minutes. Add tomato paste, parsley, thyme, paprika, crushed red pepper, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is fragrant and vegetables are well coated in tomato mixture,1 to 2 minutes. Stir in reserved seafood stock; cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and mixture reduces to about 3 cups, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside 4 cooked shrimp and 1/4 cup mixed mussels, scallops, and squid for garnish. Add heavy cream and remaining cooked seafood to stock mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, until seafood is heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer seafood mixture to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process until smooth, about 1 minute, adding water, 2 tablespoons at a time, if needed to thin bisque to desired consistency. Season with salt to taste. Divide bisque evenly among bowls; garnish evenly with reserved seafood and additional parsley. Serve with baguette. Originally appeared: January 2021 Rate It Print