Uni Bisque

There's nothing like the smooth rich warmth of a good soup. This delicious bisque marries the caramelized sweetness of buttery roasted squash with the soft subtle creaminess of our Rimouski sea urchin. This soup is perfect as a prelude to a special dinner or fantastic paired with a simple salad for a quick lunch, an is also a great source of vitamin A! Bask in those automnal flavours and let each luscious spoonful take you away to the seaside.

Uni Bisque

7-8 servings

Ingredients:

300g frozen uni, defrosted

4 tbsp unsalted clarified butter (ghee)

3 cups seafood broth

4 tbsp heavy cream (35%)

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 small yellow onion (or half a large onion), finely diced

2 tbsp parsley, finely minced

Salt to taste

Optional: fresh sea urchin as a garnish

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425C.

2. Melt 3 tbsp butter and toss with cubed squash. Spread cubes on baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes or until browned and soft. Toss halfway during baking time.

3. Melt remaining butter in a soup pot and brown the diced onions on medium heat until translucent and fragrant. Add in roasted squash and stir.

4. Add 3 cups of seafood broth and bring to a gentle boil.

5. Toss in the finely minced parsley.

6. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly until no longer bubbling. Using an immersion blender,1 blend on medium speed carefully until consistency is smooth.

7. Add in the defrosted uni (consistency will be mostly liquid, with a few chunks).2 Add in cream. Blend until well mixed.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

9. Serve in bowls topped with fresh uni. Bisque can be served hot or chilled.3

Notes:

1. If you do not have an immersion blender, a standard blender can also be used. Wait until soup has cooled and transfer to blender. Blended soup can be returned to the pot and rewarmed on low heat. Alternatively, a potato masher and whisk can also be used, although the final consistency will be slightly chunkier.

2. You can also use fresh uni, slightly blended, or try a mix of 200g frozen and 100g fresh for best results.

3. For a fancy presentation, you can serve this bisque in cleaned uni shells. The chilled soup may thicken in texture; extra broth or a bit of milk may be added if needed.