Blue Sky Recipes (continued)
Tomato Bisque with Peekytoe Crab Biscuits
Ingredients
Bisque:
• 5 lbs. ripe summer tomatoes, stemmed and halved
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 heads garlic, unpeeled, broken into cloves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 sticks (14 tbsp.) unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice
• 1 small carrot, cut into small dice
• 1 1/2 leeks (white parts only), washed thoroughly and julienned
• 1 (28-oz.) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• Handful fresh tarragon sprigs
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, pale-yellow parts only, trimmed and julienned
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 3 slices bacon (optional)
• 1/4 cup celery leaves
Cream Biscuits:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tbsp. salt
• 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Crab Filling:
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3/4 lb. fresh Maine crabmeat (leg meat only)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 bunch fresh chives, cut into thin rounds
• Large handful celery leaves, deep-fried in a small saucepan in 2 inches canola oil, drained and salted
Directions
1. To make the bisque: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place tomato halves on a sheet pan (you may need 2 pans, depending on size of tomatoes), cut sides up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and scatter garlic cloves over. Drizzle with the olive oil. Roast until tomatoes begin to take on a hint of golden color, about 30 minutes. Pass tomatoes and garlic through a ricer into a bowl; discard skins. Set roasted-tomato purée aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt ¾ stick (6 tablespoons) butter over low heat. Add the onion, carrot and leeks, and cook until softened, about 15 minutes. Add the roasted-tomato purée and the canned tomatoes. Tie tarragon and lemongrass into a cheesecloth bundle and add to the soup. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sugar and 2 cups cold water. Bring to a simmer. Add bacon slices if using, and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bacon. Squeeze cheesecloth bundle vigorously over the pot to extract every bit of juice. Transfer half of the soup to a blender. Purée; return to the pot. If the soup is too thick, thin with water; set aside.
3. To make biscuits: Preheat oven to 385°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift flours with baking powder and salt. Make a "well" in the center and pour in the cream. With a wooden spoon, gradually mix the cream into the flour until the dough barely holds together; do not over-mix. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and gently roll out to a 9-by-6-inch rectangle, the short side facing you. Brush with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Fold bottom third up toward the middle, and top third over to cover, to make a "letter" fold. Give dough a quarter turn. Roll again to 9-by-6-inch rectangle; brush with 2 tablespoons butter, and make a second letter fold. Repeat once more, brushing with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, for 3 folds total. Roll dough to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a 3-inch round cutter. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. To make crab filling: Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add crabmeat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss until warmed through. Add lemon juice to taste and sprinkle with chives.
5. To finish, reheat soup over medium-low heat and stir in remaining 8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with fried celery leaves, and set each bowl on a plate large enough to hold a biscuit. Split biscuits in half, and fill each with a nice spoonful of the crabmeat. Serves 6.
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