Now that Thanksgiving is over and we have worked our way through the leftovers, we were ready to get in the kitchen again and start preparing our Holiday menu. While browsing at the local market we were happy to see a large selection of squash available. Butternut squash is a seasonal fruit that is wonderful roasted or in casseroles, and also we discovered it adds a flavorful addition to soups and bisques. This bisque is adapted from an old Southern Living recipe we have loved for years. It works great first course for a Holiday dinner party and makes a wonderful presentation in our soup tureens.
Curried Butternut-Shrimp Bisque: Ingredients: 1 pound fresh shrimp, 3 tbsps. unsalted butter, 1 large yellow onion, chopped, 1 ( 3 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into cubes, 3 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth, divided, 2 tsps. curry powder, 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 cup whipping cream, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper.
Directions:Peel shrimp, devein. Set aside. Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion, and saute until tender. Reduce heat to medium; add squash, and stir occasionally, 15 minutes or until tender. add 1 can broth, shrimp, curry, and thyme, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Let cool slightly. Blend mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Return mixture to saucepan; add remaining broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in 1 cup whipping cream, salt, and pepper; reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes. Garnish with whipping cream.This recipe was photographed in our Crown Soup Tureens.