Prawn Bisque

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Prawn Bisque is rich and flavorful with a roux base and creamy texture. It’s quick and easy to make, thanks to store-bought seafood stock, so this impressive appetizer can be ready in just an hour!

If you think seafood bisque is difficult to make, think again! This prawn bisque is quick and easy to make and comes together in just one pot. Even if you opt to make your own seafood stock (details below), it’s still pretty easy to make!

We usually serve up bisque for a fancy appetizer for date night or if we’re hosting a dinner party. It’s the perfect starter before this sous vide filet mignon and garlic mashed potatoes. Altogether, they make a restaurant quality meal!

This bisque is so rich, you could also serve it up for a filling lunch or dinner. Just add a side of crusty bread and you’re good to go!

If you love bisque as much as we do, you’ll also want to check out this spicy crab and corn bisque and this crawfish bisque. Both have amazing flavor and can be on the table in just 30 minutes!

Check out the prawn bisque web story!

What is bisque?

Bisque is a thick and creamy French-style soup usually made with shellfish such as lobster, crab or shrimp. It also includes seafood stock and the ingredients are often blended together to create a creamy consistency.

For an extra smooth and velvety texture, cream can also be stirred in towards the end of cooking. 

Why this recipe works

1. Making a light brown roux as the base of the bisque creates a rich and creamy texture. For all of my tips on making roux, check out this post on how to make a roux.
2. It’s ready in just an hour! Using a store-bought seafood stock is a time saving short-cut that I highly recommend.
3. If you have extra time and want to make a homemade stock, this post includes details on how to make shrimp stock in your Instant Pot!

Ingredients

Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

You’ll need 1 pound of prawns for this recipe, and they’ll need to be peeled and deveined. (You can leave the heads on, if desired). Here’s a quick video on how to peel and devein prawns.

You may also want to try this prawn laksa or these Malaysian butter prawns!

To make the roux, you’ll need 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. To control the amount of salt in the bisque, I recommend using unsalted butter.

The liquid base is 4 cups of shrimp stock. You can also use lobster stock or any seafood stock. While I’ve included details below on how to make homemade stock, to save time, you can use store-bought. To control the amount of salt in the bisque, I suggest using low sodium stock. In a pinch, you can also substitute chicken or vegetable stock.

To enhance the flavor of the other ingredients, you’ll need 1 cup of sherry.  If you don’t have sherry, you can use white wine. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, you can just add more seafood stock.

For a spicy seafood flavor, you’ll need ½ teaspoon of crab boil. This is a concentrated blend of different seasonings often used in crab boils but also used to add flavor to other dishes.

How to make shrimp stock

While you can use store-bought shrimp or seafood stock in this bisque, you can also make it with shrimp heads and shells.

To make it, place the shells and heads in an Instant Pot and cover with water (about 10-12 cups).

Pressure cook on high for 3 hours.

Strain and use 4 cups for this recipe.

Step by step instructions

Heat the butter and flour in a dutch oven over medium heat, whisking constantly until a light brown roux forms (about 5-10 minutes).

Add the tomato paste, garlic and shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Very SLOWLY pour in the sherry while whisking constantly to ensure lumps don't form.

Do the same with the stock. Then, stir in the tarragon, bay leaf, coconut sugar, salt, paprika and crab boil.

Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the cream and bring it back to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, add the prawns, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. **Prawns will be cooked through from the heat of the broth.

Serve with croutons and parsley.

Expert tips

1. I like to keep a couple of prawns with the heads on to serve - plus they are delicious!
2. When making the roux, stir constantly so it doesn’t burn.
3. To avoid lumps forming in the roux, slowly whisk in the sherry.
4. Similarly, to prevent lumps from forming in the bisque, use warmed stock and stir it in slowly. I usually add one cup at a time.
5. You can substitute chicken or vegetable stock for the seafood stock. This homemade crockpot chicken broth is one of our faves to use.
6. While sherry adds a depth of flavor, if you prefer not to use it, you can just use more stock. White wine is another good substitute.
7. When simmering the bisque after the cream has been added, you should stir it frequently and make sure it doesn’t come to a boil as the cream may start to curdle. 
8. If the bisque is too thick for you, just stir in a little more stock or even water.

Common questions

Make ahead and freezing instructions

You can make this bisque in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it thickens a little in the fridge, just stir in a little broth or water before reheating. To reheat it, just warm it on the stovetop until heated through.

As for freezing, I prefer not to freeze this bisque as the cream may curdle and separate when defrosted.

If you want to make it ahead and freeze it, I suggest leaving out the cream and prawns. Just follow the recipe until the cream needs to be added. At this point, remove from heat and let cool, covered, in the fridge. 

Once fully cooled, store the bisque in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

To reheat, place the bisque in a Dutch oven on the stovetop and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Then, follow the recipe to add the cream and prawns. 

Make it a meal

• For toppings, add some crumbled bacon, oyster crackers or croutons. 
• As a light meal, serve it with a side salad and crusty bread or air fryer biscuits.
• To enjoy it as an appetizer, serve it before a meal of sous vide rib roast and truffle mashed potatoes.
• Other side dish options include air fryer baked potatoes or sous vide corn on the cob.
• End the meal with a rich cheesecake like this air fryer cheesecake or sous vide cheesecake.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it turned out!