Salmon Bisque

Seafood bisques are rich, creamy and luxurious and often require the shells and fish stock and take several steps to prepare and an extended period of time to make. This salmon bisque, however, is ready in nearly thirty minutes and calls for canned salmon, along with chicken broth, white wine, tomato paste and half-and-half. The soup begins with sautéed onions and a basic roux and once the remaining ingredients are added, the mixture is puréed until velvety smooth. Although fresh seafood is usually preferred, canned salmon is perfectly fine for this recipe. There are so many other flavours in the bisque that no one will notice the fish isn't from a fresh fillet. Canned salmon works well when it is combined with other ingredients, like in a salad or pan-fried patty. This salmon bisque goes nicely with a sandwich or salad for lunch, or you can make it the first course of a special dinner menu. Feel free to dress it up with a few garnishes, such as roasted red pepper strips, sour cream, olive oil, croûtons, or fresh parsley.

6 Tbsp. butter (3 oz)
1 Tbsp. onion, grated
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 medium bay leaf
1 ¾ cups chicken broth or stock
½ cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (7.5 oz) can salmon, with juices
1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

To Serve:
roasted red pepper strips
sour cream
extra-virgin olive oil
croutons
chopped fresh parsley

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan until melted; add the grated onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until tender.

Blend the flour into the butter and onion mixture. Cook, constantly stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf and gradually stir in the broth. Cook, stirring, until thickened and smooth.

Stir in the wine and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Stir in the tomato paste and the salmon along with the juices. Process in the blender in batches until smooth, then return to the saucepan. Alternatively, use a hand blender to purée the bisque directly in the pot.

Stir in the half-and-half and season with sea salt black pepper, freshly ground.

If desired, garnish with roasted red pepper strips, croûtons, sour cream, or fresh parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients:
Steam expands quickly in a blender and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.