lobster bisque
A simple version of a French classic soup. Clam juice replaces lobster stock to and whole lobsters are replaced by canned lobster meat. Plan on small portions. This is a rich dish.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup shallots diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 3/4 cup white mushrooms diced
- 1/4 cup celery diced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup clam juice
- 12 oz can lobster meat juice reserved
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup sherry
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 35% milk fat
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a sauce pan or pot large enough to hold all ingredients over medium low heat.
- Melt the butter. Add the shallots, carrots, mushrooms and celery. Cook until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook a minute more.
- Add stock, clam juice and reserved lobster juice and simmer 10 minutes more.
- Separate the larger lobster pieces (claws) and set aside. You should have about 1/2 cup little bits left over.
- Puree the soup along with the 1/2 cup of little bits of lobster. Wipe the pot out. Return the pureed soup to the pot.
- Mix in white wine and sherry and simmer, loosely covered for about 30 minutes.
- Add cayenne. Simmer 5 minutes more.
- Add whipping cream and heat through.
- Adjust salt.
- Add large lobster pieces and serve.
- Garnish with a bit of paprika or piment d'esplette if you can get it.
Notes
This bisque is fairly thin. If you want a thicker bisque mix a bit of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of the soup before you add the cream. Bring to a simmer. Once you have the texture where you want it (or a bit thicker than you want it) add the cream and heat through.