This prawn bisque is definitely worth the effort! You'll be rewarded with a deliciously rich soup that will impress any guests you're entertaining.
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- 750 g large, raw shell-on king prawns, defrosted if frozen
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 200 ml dry white wine
- 3 eschalion shallots, finely sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. tomato purée
- 1 l chicken stock
- 100 ml dry sherry (e.g. Fino) or brandy
- 100 ml double cream
- Lemon juice, to taste
To serve
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 paprika
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives, to garnish
- Step 1Set 12 prawns aside. Peel and devein the rest, reserving all the heads and shells. Put peeled prawns into a bowl, cover and chill. Peel and devein the 12 reserved prawns, but leave the tails attached. Next butterfly them. Lay a prawn flat on a board. Use a sharp knife to cut along the curved back of the prawn, cutting almost all the way through. Flatten out slightly and repeat with remaining prawns. Put into a bowl, cover and chill.
- Step 2Heat 1tbsp oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add reserved prawn heads and shells and fry, stirring occasionally, until deep coral in colour and starting to brown. Add wine, stirring to scrape any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan. Bubble for 2min, then empty into a large, deep pan. Add stock to the prawn mixture, bring to the boil then cover with a lid and bubble gently for 25min. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside.
- Step 3Heat remaining 1tbsp oil in a clean, large pan over low-medium heat. Add shallots and carrot and cook until tender and golden, about 10-12min. Stir in tomato purée and cook, stirring, for 1min. Stir in the whole shelled prawns. Turn up heat to high, pour in sherry and cook, stirring, for 2min. Add half the strained stock, stir well and cook for 2min, or until prawns are cooked through and opaque. Transfer to a blender and whizz until very smooth. Pass bisque through a fine sieve into a clean pan, working mixture well. Whisk in remaining stock.
- Step 4To serve, reheat bisque until piping hot, then stir in double cream and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste.
- Step 5Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add butterflied prawns, paprika and some seasoning and fry for 2-3min, until cooked through. Divide bisque between 6 shallow bowls, top with the prawns and a drizzle of the butter and sprinkle over chives. Serve.
Get ahead
Prepare to end of step 3 up to a day ahead; cool, cover and chill. Keep butterflied prawns chilled. Complete recipe to serve.
Per serving:
- Calories: 619
- Protein: 38g
- Total fat: 46g
- Saturates: 11g
- carbs: 3g
- Total sugars: 3g
- Fibre: 2g
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
