Cajun shrimp and corn bisque from a Louisiana native

As far as Cajun soups go, gumbo rightly gets a lot of attention. But most people outside of Louisiana have not heard of its subtler, creamier cousin, shrimp and corn bisque. This soup starts with the Cajun holy trinity (onion, bell pepper, and celery) and plenty of Cajun spices and shrimp, but instead of being thickened with roux, this soup is thickened with delicate corn and milk. This bisque is an elegant and flavorful appetizer course or light main course. 

Notes on seasonings:
Tony Chachere's is the Cajun seasoning salt blend that almost everyone in Louisiana uses. You can buy it in most supermarkets or on Amazon. Buy it. You won't regret it. It's cheap and you'll use it on everything. 

For anything with seafood, I also like to add Zatarain's liquid shrimp and crab boil concentrate. This is the seasoning mix that shrimp, crawfish, and crab are always boiled in in Louisiana. It is spicy blend of cayenne, bay, cloves, thyme, mustard, and coriander, but you wouldn't know it. Together, these seasonings form a gestalt that is different from the sum of its parts and is the perfect seafood flavor enhancer. Amazingly, I can buy it in our grocery store in Corvallis, Winco, by the seafood counter. It will be hit or miss whether you can get it in your supermarket, but you can buy it on Amazon for cheap. You'll end up adding it into all sorts of gumbos, jambalayas, etoufees, and stews.

Cajun shrimp and corn bisque

• 2 t butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, any color, diced
• 1 rib celery, optional
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 t Better than Bouillon (vegetable flavor or similar)
• 2 15 oz cans creamed corn
• 1 t Tony Chachere's seasoning
• 1/2 t Zatarain's Shrimp and Crab boil concentrate, plus more if you like it spicy
• 1 lb medium raw shrimp, shells removed
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1 cup half and half 
• ~ 1/4 cup water to thin as needed
• 1 T lemon juice, optional
• Tabasco sauce to taste, optional
• bunch green onions, chopped

In a Dutch oven, sauté onion, bell pepper, and celery, if using, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 more seconds. Add Better than Bouillon, creamed corn, Tony Chacheres, and crab boil, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in shrimp and frozen corn. Simmer for about 5 more minutes, until shrimp are cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in half and half. Soup should have a chowder-like consistency. If it is too thick for your liking, add water to thin. If using, stir in lemon juice and Tabasco sauce to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serves 5-6 main course servings.