Mmmm Mmmm Good ...Soup Day Continued! - Day 9

Hello Food Diary and Hungry Food Bloggers!

My Mise en place for today!

It is soup day again!! Once again I am back in soup heaven! On the menu today is Shrimp Bisque and Creme of Du Barry (Cream of Cauliflower). I started off with the Creme of Du Barry. The base for this soup is the bechamel sauce...Which meant I got to break out my awesome bechamel making skills (remember the bechamel was one of the leading sauces I learned how to make in week one. It was the white, cream based sauce). Once the bechamel was done I added my cauliflower and set it on the back burner to simmer (for a long time). Next I started up my Shrimp Bisque (yum). I peeled the shells off my raw shrimp and set them aside, then I cut up all my veggies, and made a veloute (Another one of the leading sauces i learned in week one!). I sauted my carrots and onions in some butter, added the shells from my shrimp(Shrimp shells add a lot of flavor, so you cook the soup with the shells in and strain it when it is finished) tossed in my bouquet garni, some tomoato paste, then I added white wine and reduced it. Once reduced I flambéed it with brandy (Flambé is a cooking procedure in which alcohol is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames). It blew up in flames for a few seconds and I felt like a professional! It was really cool! (I tried to get a picture of it, but it was out before I could get my camera out). Next I added my fish stock and veloute and set aside to simmer. While my soups were simmering I sauted my shrimp and prepared them for the finishing stages of my bisque. I took my Creme of Du Barry off the stove, strained it, and pureed it in the blender. I added a little salt and it was done! Chef said "it had great flavor, but it was a little thick." Thats ok, cant always be perfect :) It was about time to plate my shrimp bisque so I got a strainer and warmed up my bowl in the oven (Rule #1 of plating food - never serve hot food on a cold plate!!). I poured my soup through my strainer into my bowl, checked my seasoning and turned it in. Oh dang..... I had forgot to finish my soup with cream :( Ugh. To late now.  Chef tasted it and said "it had good flavor but needed to simmer a little longer, and needed the cream." I defiantly didn't bring my A game to class today, but its ok. Tomorrow is a new day, and it is our soup practical so I will take my critiques from today and fix them the test!

My Shrimp Bisque!

My Creme of Du Barry!

Tata, I'm off to study!


- Chef Kass In Training