Guest Post: Summer Bisque with Sashimi Skewers

It is with great pleasure to bring you a guest post from The Ardent Epicure: An Ode to The Pleasures of food, I have been enjoying this blog lately and the recipes are outstanding with amazing photography one of my favorite things about asking folks to guest post is getting to know the folks behind the blogs!

Alisha writes this blog with her son Adam who posts as Truffle Shuffle and her son in-law Grely  posts as Sugar and Spice. And a fourth name Food Pear-ings when they post something together. Alisha is a former professional chef specialized in gourmet vegetarian and Mediterranean foods and when you see some of the dishes you will be in awe. Adam is an IT computer tec (hence the nice looking site :-) currently in his Masters program, and an all around food snob in a good way)  Grely loves baking and and homemade desserts.

 Alisha states "Our The Ardent Epicure is our first blog (and only blog) and we are 5 months old today :-)

I do the photography, primarily and all of the photo and artistic design. While Adam does the technical contributions, aside from posts…"

What’s on the Side? – Summer Bisque with Sashimi Skewers

Note: This recipe serves 2

What you will need:

For the bisque

6 large fresh yellow tomatoes

Several large sprigs of rosemary

(I used a wild ground covering rosemary-has softer leaves)

1 small bunch fresh basil

1-2 large bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 large shallot, chopped

4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons agave

A few splashes olive oil

16 ounces vegetable broth or enough to cover tomatoes

2 dried medium heat red chilies

1/8^th -1/4^th cup reserved broth (from crock pot juices)

Small amount of cream, if desired to thin

3-4 tablespoons plum wine, or any pale sweet wine

*A small amount of white roux

Crock pot

2 very tall champagne flutes, or other tall glasses

For the roux

Note: I just made a small amount

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons unbleached flour

Small amount of cream or half and half

For the skewers

6-8 pieces Sashimi grade Ahi Tuna, cubed

2 small fresh figs, quartered

4 large olives, pitted and halved

2 medium mild green chili peppers, cut into square pieces

(I grilled these)

Wooded skewers

Let’s get cooking:

For the bisque

I prepared the tomatoes overnight in my Crock pot the night before.

Place tomatoes and all other ingredients in Crock pot, omitting roux and cream.

Allow to cook overnight, or long enough for the skins of the tomato to peel.

I like to do this in a crock pot to really get the rosemary to infuse with the tomatoes.

Remove tomatoes from the crock pot at this point and place into a large bowl.

Leave a good amount of your broth together with the tomatoes.

Chill completely in refrigerator. Once chilled remove all skin from your tomatoes,

Place skinned tomatoes with a small 1/8^th cup of reserved broth,

In a food processor or blender and add plum wine.

Blend on high until completely incorporated.

For the roux

Meanwhile prepare your roux by adding equal parts butter and flour

in a saute pan. Stir this continually until incorporated,

and there is a slight toasted aroma from the flour.

You can add a bit of cream to this, but just enough to smooth.

Set your roux aside to cool.

Now take your blended tomato mixture and run through a very

fine strainer removing all seeds.

Place mixture back into processor, adding a small amount of roux.

Continue to blend, slowly adding roux until you have achieved desired thickness.

If your bisque becomes a little too thick, add a bit more cream.

At this point salt and pepper to taste…

Prepare skewers

Alternate between olives, sashimi pieces, figs and grilled peppers

Each skewer should have 2 completed rows

Place skewers into glasses filled with bisque

Enjoy~