Elegant Seafood Bisque - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup finely minced shallot
1/2 lb butter
1/2 cup flour
1 quart water
1 tablespoon chicken base
1 (14 ounce) can baby clams, with juice
1/2 lb uncooked shrimp, cleaned, shelled, deveined
1/3 lb cod, boneless, leave in one piece
1/3 lb salmon, skinless, boneless, leave in one piece
2/3 lb cooked crabmeat, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup dry sherry
salt and pepper

Preparation

Saute minced shallots in butter until soft.
Add the flour and stir with whisk for 5 minutes on low heat, set aside.
Bring one quart of water to a boil and add chicken base, clams, crab, shrimp and whole pieces of salmon and cod.
Return to boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain the stock, reserving the seafood.
Stir the shallot mixture into the stock.
Add the heavy cream and half and half to the stock, bring to a simmer on low heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Chunk the salmon and cod and add all of the seafood back into the soup pot.
Add the sherry and heat through, no more than 3 minutes.