Bisque de Crevettes (French Prawn Bisque)

Ingredients

• 500g raw whole shell-on king prawns (or 400g raw shell-on prawns from the fishmonger counter)
• 40g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 100ml dry white wine
• 800ml fish stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp long grain rice
• 150ml double cream
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel the prawns, keeping the shells and heads. Devein the prawns, then keep them in the fridge.

2. Melt half the butter with the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Fry the prawn shells and heads for 5 minutes, crushing them with a wooden spoon, until they turn deep pink and smell toasty.

3. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Pour in the brandy and wine and let it bubble until reduced by half. Add the stock, bay leaf and rice and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the bay leaf. Blend thoroughly with a stick blender, then push through a fine sieve into a clean pan, pressing hard to extract all of the flavour.

6. Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and cook the peeled prawns for 2 minutes until pink. Slice them roughly.

7. Reheat the bisque, stir in the cream and cayenne and season to taste. Serve in warm bowls topped with the prawns.