Garlic Fennel Bisque Recipes

ONION AND FENNEL BISQUE

Steps:

• Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
• Cook onions, leeks, fennel, and garlic in butter in a heavy pot over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes.
• Add wine and boil, uncovered, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add stock, water, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in half and half and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and liquid is reduced to about 3 cups, about 15 minutes.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then transfer to a soup tureen.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Stock: In a large pot lined with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch salted water to a boil. Steam lobster tails, top-side down, until just cooked through and tails curl under, 6 to 8 minutes for small tails and 8 to 10 minutes for large. Transfer to a plate and let cool. When cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears to cut through underside of tails. Remove meat from shells; reserve shells. Run a paring knife along back of each tail and remove vein. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add shells and cook until fragrant and deep red in color, about 4 minutes. Add fish stock, wine, and 6 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, skimming impurities from surface, until reduced to 6 cups, 40 to 45 minutes. Strain stock into a large liquid-measuring cup or heatproof bowl. Wipe out pot. (Stock can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer up to 3 months.)
• Bisque: In same pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne; cook 1 minute. Add brandy, sherry, and strained lobster stock; season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf.
• Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Let cool 15 minutes. Whisk together cream and cornstarch, then stir into bisque. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning as desired.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add lobster meat and cook until just warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour soup into bowls and serve, topped with lobster, fennel fronds, and a squeeze of lemon, if desired. Soup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.

RUSTIC SHRIMP BISQUE

Steps:

• In a large pot over high heat, cook shrimp shells in 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring frequently, until lightly browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Add wine and brandy and boil until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add 6 cups water, thyme and bay leaf and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain shrimp stock into a bowl, pressing on shells before discarding them.
• In same pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add shrimp and sauté until they are pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending on size. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a bowl.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to pot along with celery, leeks, garlic and fennel and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, tomato paste, cayenne and remaining salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Add shrimp stock and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Set aside 4 to 6 nice-looking shrimp and stir remainder into bisque; let cook for 2 minutes. Working carefully and in batches, pour bisque into a blender and process to a smooth purée or pulse to a chunky mixture, as you like. (You may use an immersion blender to purée soup.) Return bisque to pot. Stir in the lemon juice and additional salt to taste. Reheat if necessary before serving. Garnish each bowl with a shrimp and a piece of fennel frond.

TOMATO FENNEL BISQUE

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, broth, fennel, onion, garlic, savory and pepper in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
• Simmer, covered 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
• Put 1/2 the mixture in a processor and blend until smooth.
• Strain to remove tomato seeds and skins.
• Return to saucepan repeat with remaining mixture.
• Heat through.
• Garnish with parsley or chives.

ONION AND FENNEL BISQUE

Steps:

• Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
• Cook onions, leeks, fennel, and garlic in butter in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes. Add wine and boil, uncovered, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add stock, water, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and liquid is reduced to about 6 cups, about 15 minutes.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then transfer to a soup tureen and stir in Pernod.

CARAMELIZED ONION & ROASTED GARLIC BISQUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove the papery outer skin from garlic, but do not peel or separate cloves.
• Rub 1-1/2 tsps oil over garlic head; wrap in foil and bake for one hour.
• Let cool ten minutes; separate cloves and squeeze to extract garlic pulp.
• Set pulp aside.
• Heat remaining oil in a pot over medium heat; add onions and leeks and cook for 30 minutes, stirring often.
• Add 1/2 tsp salt and thyme; cook an additional 30 minutes or until onions are golden.
• Stir in flour; add wine and broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
• Add garlic pulp, remaining salt and milk to onion mixture.
• Simmer 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
• Place half of the mixture in the blender and process until smooth; pour into a soup tureen or another pot and repeat with second half of mixture.
• Garnish with sour cream and toasted caraway seeds (optional).