Shrimp Stock:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped yellow onions
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped celery
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells and heads reserved, meat used for bisque and boulettes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 8 cups water

Shrimp Bisque:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup cognac or brandy
• 4 cups shrimp stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 pound shrimp reserved from shrimp stock recipe
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Shrimp Boulettes, recipe follows
• Chopped chives, garnish

1. To make the stock, in a large heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp shells and heads and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil, cooking until almost all evaporated. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, skimming to remove any foam that forms on the surface. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container, pressing on the shrimp shells to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the shells.
2. In a clean large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the cognac and cook until almost evaporated. Add shrimp stock, tarragon and thyme and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor.
5. Return to the heat and add the shrimp, cream and lemon juice. Simmer gently until the shrimp are cooked through and the flavors marry, about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and float 1 Shrimp Boulette in the center of each bowl. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Shrimp Boulettes:

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

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