Louise's Seafood Bisque

I don’t think we ever had this with Mom, but I do remember making it for a party I gave on New Years Eve while living in Rush. It was so cold outside that it really hit the spot. I think Ronnie liked it the best...here is the recipe that I thought I had lost but it somewhat resembles one that Mom would write, I hope everything is there...

ingredients

2 lbs. scallops, quartered
2 lbs. shrimp, raw, shelled & deveined
2 crab legs, steamed in white wine & water
1 tub lobster meat
Cooking Liquid:
4 scallions, chopped fine
small bay leaf
1 c. dry vermouth or white wine
1/8 t. salt
Bisque Base:
3 sticks butter
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 c. flour
1 large can chicken broth, plus 2 regular sized cans
3 quarts half-n-half
1/2 gallon milk
1 lemon, juice only
1/8 c. red hot sauce
1 small jar pimento
white pepper and salt to taste

directions

1
Place vermouth or wine in saute pan fitted with a cover. Add scallions and bay leaf. Let onions boil slowly for 10 minutes. Drop in cut up scallops,shrimp, and crab legs. Add enough water just to cover. Return to boil uncovered. Once it has come to a boil, cover and let cook for 1 minute. Take off from heat leaving covered to rest.
2
Remove seafood to separate dish and return cooking liquid to heat, reducing uncovered for 10 minutes.
3
Meanwhile, in saucepan, melt 3 sticks butter, add chopped onion and saute until tender. Whisk flour into butter mixture making a roux, cook for approximately 3 minutes. Pour hot cooking liquid into roux whisking constantly as it thickens. Gradually add chicken broth stirring while it thickens. Add half-n-half and milk stirring to thicken. Add cooked scallops, shrimp, cut up crab meat, and tub of lobster meat. Add juice of lemon, red hot, white pepper and pimento. As the bisque sits on low decide if you would like it thinner or thicker, adding more chicken broth to thin, or dilute some chicken broth into cornstarch to thicken (be sure to add this slurry when bisque is at a slow rolling boil in order to thicken properly).

Source: Sandy