Spot Prawns: The Bisquening

It was not so long ago that we devoured the first spot prawns of the season.

Aya has become very good at re-purposing the left-overs into magical, delicious prawn bisque.

Here is how she does it:

Sauté the basics.

Then fry up the heads, shells, legs and any other good bits left over from the spot prawn feast. Crush the shells as they turn brown and brittle.

Simmer them in a large soup pot with a little water, tomato paste and brandy. This takes a long, long time. Skim off the foam when it gathers. Brush off the building manager when he complains about smell in the hallway.

The liquid will reduce and darken.

Rich, murky and pungent. Bisque is an amazing concentration of the best, deep seafood flavours.

We also use some of the bisque for making risotto, here served with garlic and saffron mayonnaise.

What goes well with bisque and bisque risotto?

If, like us, you don't have a Merusault tucked away somewhere, you need to have a chat with your cellar master. We don't have a cellar master, either.

But we do have access to something almost as good. Seriously.

Here is what we wrote about this Chilean Wild Ferment Chardonnay from Errazuriz back in February of 2012:

And it's such a good Chardonnay. It has a little toasted oak influence but it is gentle and rounded by the malolactic fermentation. There is a classic, lemony backbone all the way through with some lovely, delicate flavours developed by the ambient yeasts. Restrained and complex, this one unfolds leisurely over a long finish.

At only $22 here in BC, it's a great way to experience a risky and rewarding style of wine-making.