Prawn & Fennel Bisque

Ingredients

• 450g Tiger Prawns
• 4 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 large Onion
• 1 large Fennel
• 2 chopped Carrots
• 150ml Dry White Wine
• 1 tbs Brandy
• 400g Chopped Tomatoes
• 1L Fish Stock
• 2 pinches Paprika
• 150ml Double Cream
• 8 Prawns

Instructions

1. Peel the prawns, separating the meat from the shells. Chop the prawn meat and chill it, reserving the shells.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the prawn shells and fry for about 5 minutes until bright pink and fragrant. Add the chopped onion, fennel and carrots and cook for around 10 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften.
3. Pour in the white wine and brandy and let it boil vigorously for about 1 minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add the chopped tomatoes, fish stock and paprika. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and blend the soup until as smooth as possible using a stick blender or food processor. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing well to extract a velvety texture.
5. Return the strained soup to a clean pan, add the chopped prawns and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the prawns are just cooked through. Blend again until completely smooth. The soup can be cooled and chilled for up to a day or frozen for up to one month.
6. To serve, gently reheat the bisque and stir in the double cream without boiling. If using the garnish, fry the reserved whole prawns briefly in butter. Ladle the soup into small bowls, top with the prawns and finish with snipped fennel fronds.

instructions_source: editorial-classic