Adding carrots and potatoes to this dish turns it into a one-pot meal. It may be stretching it to continue to call it “bisque,” but when you consider the cost of the ingredients, it still deserves an expensive-sounding name.

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 6-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the celery and stir into the butter. Finely dice 6 of the baby carrots and stir them into the butter and celery; sauté for 2 minutes.

2. Add the onion and sauté until transparent. Stir the garlic into the sautéed mixture.

3. Chop the remaining carrots into thirds, and then add them along with the stock or broth and the potatoes.

4. Wrap the cloves, bay leaf, and peppercorns in cheesecloth or put them in a muslin cooking bag; add to the broth. Bring to a boil; lower the temperature, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Mix ½ cup butter and flour together to form a paste and stir it into the broth, 1 teaspoon at a time.

6. Once all of the butter-flour mixture is added, boil for 1 minute, then lower the temperature and let simmer until the mixture begins to thicken and the raw flour taste is cooked out of the broth. Remove the cheesecloth or cooking bag.

7. Add the shrimp and cook just until they begin to turn pink; do not overcook. Stir in the crabmeat and cream. Bring to temperature. Taste for seasoning, and, if desired, season with salt, white pepper, and/or dry sherry.

8. Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Garnish with chopped parsley or chopped green onion, if desired.