Shrimp Bisque: Gluten-free, Dairy-Free, All Delish

This was my second bowl.
Yum.

Over the years I've developed a number of recipes (which is why I'm now a food blogger!). Then, I became gluten-free before I became dairy-free, more than a year later. So many of my early recipes are neither. And some are GF but not DF.

Tonight I *thought* had some leftover "imitation" lobster meat. Yes it's processed. But it's not bad, is it? (Tell me in the comments if it is.) So I thought I'd make lobster bisque. When I looked at my recipe it had butter. So I had to adjust that out for my new dairy-free-ness. Then as I was cooking and pulled out my "lobster" close to the time I needed to add it, I realized it had gone bad in the fridge and suddenly I was stuck (and grossed out, plus a little ticked that the label had said it was good until the end of November, and now that I'm thinking about it, how could real seafood be good for a month? I'm sure the processed stuff is bad now...).

But no fear! My freezer to the rescue! I had some lovely raw, deveined, easy-peel shrimp. (Just shrimp on the ingredient label - yay!) I usually have frozen homemade shrimp broth, which I would have totally used for this, but I was out, so I ended up using my homemade chicken broth mixed with Thai fish sauce, which worked FABULOUSLY! So, I made this up on the fly and it turned out so deliciously that I had to record it here - or else risk never getting it right again, You know what I mean? Yes you do. We all do that. Make the most amazing food, knowing for sure we'll remember what it was because how could you not, and then never ever be able to duplicate it again. Sigh. Well not THIS time!

Even if no one else ever makes this, while that would be a shame because it turned out AMAZING, I am writing this recipe for me to remember so I can make it again and have my family ooh and ahh over how lucky they are to have an awesome Mommy and wife like me, and how no restaurant could ever come close. Yeah. They rock.

Now - get to cooking.

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SHRIMP BISQUE - Gluten Free, Dairy Free

6 tablespoons olive oil (can substitute coconut oil, or combine 3 T olive oil and 3 T ghee)
1/4 cup yellow onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons white rice flour
1/2 c white wine (I used chardonnay)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce (the kind from the Asian section in the grocery or your fridge!)
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I use Chalula and should probably have them as a sponsor)
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning (YES it IS gluten free!!)
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste - your fish sauce will make a difference)
2 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth (seriously do not use that stuff in the cans and if you do, you may not need any salt)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 pound raw shrimp, rough chopped
1 can full fat coconut milk (the kind from the Thai aisle, not the cold one in the carton, there's nowhere near enough fat to get the unctuous mouth feel you want from a good bisque)
1/2 cup dry sherry

Directions:

1 In a dutch oven heat oil over med-high heat and saute onions until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute another few seconds. Sprinkle all with flour and mix into a roux.

2 Deglaze the pan with the white wine. (That means add the wine and scrape up the bottom of the pot really well.) It will quickly form a globby mess. That's okay.

3 Whisk in the Worcestershire, hot sauce, and fish sauce and then add the broth. Bring to a boil.

4. Stir in tomato sauce, paprika, Old Bay, and add the bay leaves. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Raise heat back to medium high and stir in the raw shrimp. Heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook the shrimp. 

6. Whisk in coconut milk and heat through.  Adjust seasoning to taste. If you like a little more spice, add some more hot sauce. Stir in sherry just before serving. (Or, if you have children, after adding sherry, bring back to a boil to evaporate the alcohol so you don't end up with tipsy kids or in jail. Because either would be very, very bad.) Remove bay leaves before serving because no one wants to get stuck with one of those things floating around in their bowl.

Serve in your fancy-schmaniest bowls and be ready to lick those suckers at the end because this is SO GOOOOOOD! 

If you like to garnish, use some chopped green onions, or, if you're fresh out like I was, sprinkle a little more paprika and Old Bay on the top and call it done!