Ingredients: 1/2  pound fresh shrimp in the shell 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion 1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup diced carrot 1/4 cup sherry 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 2 cups clam juice 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2cup heavy cream Serve with Pasley-Tipped Toasts (recipe below)

Directions: Heat olive oil in a heavy pot. Add half the shrimp and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes until shells begin to turn color. Add vegetables and sherry and continue cooking until sherry has evaporated. Add the Old Bay seasoning, red pepper flakes, and clam juice. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Peel and devein remaining shrimp. Sprinkle shrimp with a little Old Bay seasoning. Broil for about 4 minutes, turning once. Reserve a few shrimp for garnish. Chop remaining shrimp coarsely. Strain shrimp and vegetable mixture into another pot and discard the simmered shrimp and vegetables. Whisk in tomato paste. Add about two-thirds of the chopped shrimp to the liquid, then puree with a hand-held immersion blender. Add cream and the remaining shrimp (coarsely chopped) and heat through. Add additional Old Bay seasoning, if desired. Serve with Parsley-Tipped Toasts (recipe follows), and garnish as desired. Makes 4 or 5 servings. Parsley-Tipped Toasts: 4 slices white bread Dried parsley flakes Cut a triangle from the center of each slice of bread. Brush both sides of the bread lightly with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with Old Bay seasoning. Toast in a hot skillet, turning as needed to crisp both sides. Just before serving, dip points in the bisque, then coat with dried parsley flakes. (Second-place Winner, from Cheryl Rogers of Ames) *See more recipes in our soups & stews collection *See more recipes in our seafood collection