Roasted Pumpkin and Mexican Shrimp Bisque

From: Executive chef Lou Imbesi, Catelli Ristorante, Voorhees, NJ.

Yield: 6 servings.

• 1 cup roasted pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin or roasted butternut squash may be substituted)
• 11⁄2 cups shrimp or chicken stock
• 1 cup reduced shrimp or shellfish cream (11⁄2 cups heavy cream)
• 6 oz. dry sherry
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 medium onion, diced
• to taste, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 11⁄2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. minced chives
• to taste, salt and pepper
• 6 roasted mini pumpkins, hollowed out
• 12 U-15 Ocean Garden Authentic Mexican Shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved

Saute shrimp shells in half the butter until well-colored; deglaze with sherry and allow to evaporate. Add 2 cups heavy cream and thyme; simmer until reduced by half, and then strain. Saute onion with remaining butter until translucent; add pumpkin puree, shrimp stock, 6 diced shrimp and reduced shrimp cream. Allow to simmer for 8 minutes. Add spice blend, salt and pepper to taste. With a hand-held immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth.

To serve: Season remaining shrimp with salt and pepper. Sear in hot skillet with oilve oil until cooked through. Divide soup mixture evenly into the roased mini pumpkins or warmed soup bowls. Garnish with seared Mexican shirmp and chives.