Shrimp Bisque & Radish Tartine

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. shrimp, medium (21-25), peeled, deveined, shells reserved
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 bay leaves, divided
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, divided
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bulb fennel, chopped
• ½ cup of brandy
• ¼ cup of rice
• 5 sprigs of tarragon, leaves only
• ½ cup of heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 bunch of chive, chopped
• 1 baguette, sliced into thin and thick crostini. (Thin for the tartine and thick to garnish the soup)
• ½ cup of fresh chevre goat milk cheese
• 4 large radishes
• High quality extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt to taste
• Kosher salt to taste
• Fresh cracked black pepper

Method:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and 1 bay leaf and cook until tomato paste is slightly caramelized, 2-3 minutes. Add 8 cups of water.  Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain, discarding solids.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the same pot. Add carrots, celery, onion, and fennel and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until very soft, about 10 minutes.

Remove pot from heat; add brandy. Return pot to heat and stir until almost evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Add rice and remaining 1 tablespoon tomato paste; stir for 1 minute. Add shrimp stock, remaining bay leaf tarragon. Simmer uncovered until flavors meld and rice is soft, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 4 shrimp for garnish and stir remaining shrimp into bisque. Remove bay leaf.

Working in batches, purée bisque in a blender until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a clean pot. Discard solids in strainer. Stir in cream and reheat bisque over medium heat. Add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne, if desired.

Mince reserved shrimp and mix with chives in a small bowl. Place 1 heaping tablespoon shrimp mixture in the center of large, shallow soup bowls. Ladle bisque around garnish and serve.

Slice baguette into 6 thin slices and 4 larger slices.  Brush all with olive oil and toast under a broiler until golden brown, 3-4 minutes.  Garnish soup with larger slices.  On the thinner slices, spread roughly 1 tablespoon of goat cheese on each toast.  Slice radishes into thin slices and layer on top of goat cheese, like scales on a fish.  Season with sea salt and chive and drizzle with olive oil.