Creamy Crab and Shrimp Bisque!

📝 Ingredients

• Fresh or canned lump crab meat
• Large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• Unsalted butter
• Onion (finely chopped)
• Celery (finely chopped)
• Carrot (finely chopped)
• Garlic (minced)
• All-purpose flour
• Dry sherry
• Seafood stock or chicken broth
• Heavy cream
• Old Bay seasoning
• Bay leaf
• Salt and pepper

🔪 Instructions

1. Prepare seafood
   • If using fresh crab and shrimp, ensure they are cleaned, peeled, and deveined. Set aside.
2. Sauté aromatics
   • In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.
   • Add onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
   • Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Make the roux
   • Sprinkle flour over the vegetables. Stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste.
4. Deglaze & simmer
   • Slowly pour in dry sherry, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot.
   • Add seafood stock (or chicken broth), Old Bay seasoning, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
5. Add seafood
   • Stir in crab meat and shrimp. Simmer gently until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
6. Finish the bisque
   • Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream. Remove bay leaf.
   • Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
7. Serve & enjoy
   • Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs or a drizzle of cream, if desired.