Sunday Soup!

A first Sunday of Autumn Blessing......Pumpkin Shrimp Bisque.
That's what I'll be stirring-up here in The Judiland Church of the Blessed Kitchen




Once this starts cooking.....you'll be praying all day for dinner time!
Once you eat it.....you will feel closer to heaven.
Trust me, you will swear this soup was invented in God's kitchen.....

Pumpkin Shrimp Bisque

1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned seafood stock
3 cups canned chicken stock
Pinch saffron threads (about 24)
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion (about 8 ounces), coarsely chopped
4 fresh bay leaves, torn, or 2 dried
3 3-inch springs fresh sage
2 cups canned pumpkin purée
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium (3-quart) heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add veggies and saute. Add the wine to the pan, first turning off gas flames to prevent the alcohol from igniting, then boil it over medium heat until all the liquid is evaporated. Add the chicken and seafood stock, saffron, bay leaves, and sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve, pushing down on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Rinse out the saucepan and pour the stock back into it. Discard solids.

2. Soup: Whisk the pumpkin, cream and cayenne into the shrimp stock. Bring the soup to a simmer, then cook very gently uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and season with black pepper and more salt if needed.

3. Finishing the soup: Pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan placed over medium heat. When hot, add shrimp and sage and cook, tossing often, until the shrimp is just cooked through, pink, and no longer translucent, but not curled into a circle, 2 to 3 minutes. They should still have a tender snap when you bite into them. Arrange the shrimp in warmed serving bowls or a tureen. Bring the soup back to a simmer and then ladle it over the shrimp. Serve right away.

Oh, and don't forget the sacramental wine.
It wouldn't be Sunday without it.
I'd suggest a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.


Amen!