Lobster Bisque
| Prep | Cook | Total | Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Min | 50 Min | 1 Hr | 4 |
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 4 c. seafood or fish stock
- 1 1/4 c. dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 1 lb. cooked lobster meat, chopped
- Finely chopped chives
DIRECTIONS
- In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, heat butter. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. #Season with salt and pepper, then stir in garlic and tomato paste. Cook until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste coats vegetables, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle over flour and cook, 1 minute more.
- Pour in seafood stock and wine, then stir in bay leaf and thyme. Reduce heat and let simmer until liquid is reduced and flavors meld, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf and thyme and purée with an immersion blender until very smooth. Return to medium-low heat and stir in heavy cream and lobster meat, cooking just until warm, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chives before serving.
Notes
Usually, lobster bisque is made with a stock of lobster shells. Our version is much more streamlined (see: easier and less expensive) and truly just as rich and delicious.
The result is a velvety smooth bisque with big chunks of lobster in every bite. It's decadent and so satisfying, and it comes together in just 1 hour! Here's how to nail it.
Build your flavors
This soup tastes super complex, but actually starts with pretty basic ingredients. The key here is building flavors. Start by melting butter, then add your mirepoix—finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Next, stir in fragrant tomato paste and freshly minced garlic. A sprinkle of flour thickens things up, then you'll deglaze with wine and stock. Throw in your fresh herbs and let everything simmer.
Stock up
Speaking of stock, let's get into it. Here, we use seafood stock to really amp up the lobster flavor, but you could totally use vegetable or even chicken stock. Just be sure to choose one that's low-sodium, as always, so you can control the salt level.
Grab the booze
This recipe has got 1 1/4 cups of dry white wine. However, if you happen to have some on hand, replace 1/4 cup of the wine with sherry. Sherry is a fortified wine that adds an absolutely delicious, savory kick to your soup. The flavor is similar to marsala.
Finishing touches
Once your soup has simmered and the flavors have melded, pick out and discard the spent herbs, and puree it. Bust out your immersion blender or pour into a blender. You want the soup to be completely smooth. Then, pour it back into your pot and stir in the heavy cream and lobster. You basically just want to warm those things through, so bring to a simmer and then serve immediately garnished with fresh chives.
