Seafood bisque: National seafood bisque day celebrated

(CNN) -- October 19 is National Seafood Bisque Day. Celebrate by making a pot of this French classic at home.

Most recipes call for you to roast the seafood shells for the rich and flavorful stock that becomes the base of the soup. The meat of the shellfish (typically shrimp or crab, but any crustacean will do) is puréed and added back to the soup right before serving.

While some cream or half and half might be added to the pot, bisques aren't considered cream-based soups, they're strained soups. Modern day bisques are thickened with a roux (a combination of flour and fat), but back in the day they were thickened with rice.
 
™ & © 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.