Pimento Cheese Bisque

Several weeks ago I was visiting friends in Aiken, SC and had lunch at one of my favorite little restaurants, The West Side Bowery Café. The chefs there are brilliant and creative; serving a wide range of dishes, both classic and original – like their Pimento Cheese Bisque. Walking into The West Side Bowery Café you think you're in a first-rate Michelin-starred restaurant in any great city around the world. From the greeting to the seasonal menu, the daily specials, the service, the presentation and the warm thanks you'll receive when you leave, you'll have a wonderful dining experience. No one goes to The West Side Bowery Café only once.

After getting home from Aiken, I had to try and duplicate this wonderful soup. I started with my own pimento cheese recipe and then gradually incorporated it into a classic bisque base. Here is the recipe that developed:


Pimento Cheese Bisque
"This bisque is like no other. It has a great taste; it’s full of flavor and very satisfying."

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups hot milk
1 four-ounce jar pimentos, drained and chopped
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup green bell pepper, chopped
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup Durkee's Famous Sauce ®
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
¼ cup Sherry
1 cup hot chicken broth (add to thin bisque, if needed)

Reserve 1 tablespoon each serving of the bell peppers for garnish



In a double boiler over boiling water, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring until blended. Add hot milk and stir until smooth.

Using a food-processor combine the pimentos, bell peppers, sour cream, Dijon mustard, Durkee’s, Grand Marnier and grated cheese - working in short intervals, pulse until the mixture is smooth.

Slowly add in batches the cheese mixer to warm milk, stirring until smooth. Do Not Let It Come To A Boil! Season with salt and cayenne pepper; Stir in Sherry.

Serve warm with a pinch of the combined bell peppers.

Serves 6