How to Make Homemade Seafood Cream

This homemade seafood cream is a rich, smooth soup prepared with seafood, aromatic vegetables, stock, and cream. Serve it as a starter with crusty bread or alongside a simple salad.

Ingredients

• 300 g shrimp or prawns, shells reserved
• 250 g firm white fish, cut into pieces
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 leek, white part chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 60 ml dry white wine, optional
• 750 ml fish or seafood stock
• 150 ml heavy cream
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper
• A pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne, optional
• Fresh parsley and lemon juice, for serving

Preparation

1. Prepare the seafood. Peel and clean the shrimp, reserving the shells. Check the fish carefully for bones and refrigerate the seafood until needed.
2. Build the flavor base. Heat the oil or butter in a saucepan. Add the shrimp shells and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, pressing them lightly to release their flavor. Remove and discard the shells.
3. Cook the vegetables. Add the onion, leek, carrot, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened without browning.
4. Add the tomato and wine. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, if using, and simmer until reduced by about half.
5. Simmer the soup. Pour in the stock and add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf.
6. Add the seafood. Reserve a few shrimp for garnish if desired. Add the remaining shrimp and fish, then simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, just until cooked through.
7. Blend until smooth. Carefully blend the soup until creamy. For an especially refined texture, pass it through a fine sieve and return it to the saucepan.
8. Finish with cream. Stir in the cream and warm the soup over low heat without allowing it to boil. Season with salt, pepper, and optional paprika or cayenne.

Serving

Add a small squeeze of lemon juice immediately before serving. Garnish with parsley and the reserved cooked shrimp. Serve hot with toasted or crusty bread.

Helpful Tips

• Use a mixture of shrimp, white fish, crab, or scallops according to availability.
• Avoid boiling the seafood for too long, as it can become tough and develop a less delicate flavor.
• If the soup is too thick, loosen it with additional warm stock. If it is too thin, simmer it gently before adding the cream.
• For a dairy-free version, replace the cream with unsweetened coconut milk; the flavor will be different but still complementary to seafood.
• Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate them in a covered container, and reheat gently until steaming hot.