Rosie Makes Shrimp Bisque And Some Other Stuff.

 
  It's a lazy Sunday and I'm hungry.
 I have some cooked shrimp in the fridge, so I'm going to wing shrimp bisque.

Whenever I'm making something, I generally pick and choose my ingredients.  Unless you're baking cookies or a cake where actual chemistry is involved and amounts need to be measured, you can pretty much pick and choose as you go along.  Take some of this, a little bit of that, add it together, season it, and there ya go. Always taste test throughout.

Hope you enjoy it!
 

Rosie's Shrimp Bisque

2 handfuls cooked shrimp, peeled

vegetable broth

1 TB olive oil

1 TB unsalted butter

1 small onion

2 celery stalks

2 large mushrooms

2 TB flour

2 cup skim milk

1 cup cream

sherry, to taste

fresh herbs - tarragon, chives, scallions, parsley

sweet red bell pepper, minced

Finely chop onion, celery, and mushrooms.

Heat butter and oil over medium heat and sauté the vegetables 2-3 minutes.

Add flour and cook another minute, stirring, to cook the raw taste out.

Slowly whisk in milk, cooking, and letting it thicken.  

Stir in cream.  Heat through.

In a processor, purée shrimp, with enough vegetable broth until smooth.

Reserve a few whole shrimp to top bisque with.

Add shrimp purée to soup mixture.

Add sherry, to taste.  I used 2 tablespoons.

Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with a whole shrimp or two, and sprinkle some pretty green herbs and minced red pepper over top.

I like to add some oyster crackers for some crunch.

I didn't stop with the bisque.
I wanted more!

So I made some fried mozzarella and red onion rings.
You gotta try this.

First slice some red onions.
Then squish some fresh mozzarella in between the rings.
It must be the good, fresh mozzarella from the deli.  Not the ubiquitous bricks in the dairy aisle.
Place prepared slices in the freezer for 30 minutes or so.

Then take the onion and mozzarella pieces and give it the 3-bath treatment.
First dredge through flour seasoned with kosher salt and pepper, shaking off excess,
then drop into a beaten egg bath and let it drain off a bit,
then drag it through some panko breadcrumbs.
Fry in 350° peanut oil on each side until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
And dig in!

Ooey-gooey cheese.  Crisp crust.
What's not to love?

I'll be making these again.  And again.

And then I had a proper meal - fried oysters, homemade coleslaw, homemade tartar sauce, homemade cocktail sauce.

The oysters were freshly shucked, then tossed in flour with freshly cracked black pepper, a bit of paprika, and a little dried mustard powder.  Lightly fried in 350° peanut oil (Don't crowd the pan!) for about a minute, then drained.

Coleslaw - Shredded cabbage, carrot, and green pepper.
Toss with dressing, cover, and let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes for flavors to meld.

Coleslaw Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 TB sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp sugar
1 TB cider vinegar
few shakes of Lawry's seasoned pepper
pinch kosher salt
Mix all ingredients.  Pour over slaw mixture.  Toss to coat evenly.

Rosie's Tartar Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TB sweet relish
1/2 - 1 tsp chopped capers
1 heaping TB chopped red onion
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

Combine all ingredients.
If you don't have fresh tarragon in your herb garden, not to worry.  Substitute with fresh parsley and/or chives, which is a totally different flavor, but quite doable.

Rosie's Cocktail Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 TB+ horseradish
2 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 TB lemon juice

For extra oomph, I like to press the liquid out of my horseradish.  More heat to the mix.
Combine all ingredients casually.  You don't need a homogeneous mixture.  I prefer pockets of flavors.  You dip into one section and get a few flavors here, then dip into another section and get more flavors there.  Add more horseradish if you like sinus-cleaning.  I do.

Rosie Note:  None of these amounts are etched in stone.  Taste test as you go along.  Make it yours!

Bon appétit!