Classic Lobster Bisque

Classic Lobster Bisque

August 29, 2018

Servings: 4-6

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 1 hr 20 min

Total: 1 hr 30 min

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Fresh off the (lobster) boat! A few simple steps to a classic creamy & rich lobster bisque you can enjoy right in the heart of your own home.

By: A Wholesome New World

Ingredients

• Remember to save after lobster dinner:
• Leftovers shells and bodies of 2 small lobsters (the shells, bodies, legs everything!) - ours were 1/4 lb lobsters
• 1 quart cooking liquid from the lobsters (or water)
• Stock Ingredients:
• 1 head of garlic, unpeeled, sliced in half through the cloves
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• Seasonings (measurements approximate):
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch of parsley
• 1 TBSP black peppercorns
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• Remaining Ingredients:
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup sherry or brandy
• 5 TBSP butter
• 4 TBSP flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cream or half&half
• 3 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 TBSP cornstarch ** Optional, see note in Step 5

Directions

• Step 1 Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP of the butter and sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Add the lobster shell pieces and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Throw the head of garlic, herbs, parsley, peppercorns and kosher salt and bring to a boil.
• Step 2 Add the wine and sherry and cook until reduced by half. Then add the lobster cooking liquid (or water) it should be enough liquid to cover the vegetables and lobster pieces. Add more water if you need to. Now reduce the heat and simmer for at least an hour with the lid partially covering the pot.
• Step 3 After an hour, strain the stock through a strainer into a large bowl, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all of the flavor. You can now discard all of the shells. Return the stock to the pot and keep on a low simmer.
• Step 4 In another large pot, melt the rest of the butter (4 TBSP). Whisk in the flour slowly and cook until the mixture turns into a golden roux, stirring constantly.
• Step 5 Ladle the stock into the flour mixture, a few ladlefuls at a time. Whisk after each addition until fully incorporated. Add the tomato paste and bring the stock to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium and reduce until thickened, about 10 minutes. **Whisk in 1 or 2 TBSP of cornstarch to the bisque if you feel it’s not thick enough.
• Step 6 Swirl in the cream and cook about 5 minutes more on low heat. Taste and add additional s&p to season if necessary.
• Step 7 Garnish with fresh lobster meat and crème fraîche and serve warm!

It’s hard to believe that summer is slowly disappearing before our eyes (especially on days like today when it’s 100 degrees UGH)! Frankly, it’s probably crazy that I’m posting this in the midst of a heat wave -never mind making it!- but every time we have left over lobster shells, I can’t resist! We just returned from a weekend home on the NH seacoast visiting my family, where the lobsters are as fresh as they come, so we loaded up the car with a few extras before we left and made them for dinner last night. (This is actually Step 1 in the lobster bisque process!) I’ll be posting a run down on cooking a lobster dinner soon, so stay tuned!

Lobster bisque used to be one of those super intimidating dishes that was reserved as an extra-special treat in a restaurant, but now that I’ve “mastered” how to make it, I’ve already cooked it three times this summer alone. What’s the secret? Every time we make lobsters, we know to save the shells and the cooking liquid for the next night. That’s what preserves all of the essential lobster flavor and becomes the base to the bisque. I’ve broken down the rest of this recipe into a few simple steps and tried to make them as easy to follow as possible. As long as you have an hour to cook the stock, you can totally make this!

The makings of the broth: carrots, celery, seasonings and lobster shells:

After an hour of simmering, strain the stock:

For us, this is one of the best parts about cooking: being able to recreate amazing dishes we’ve had at restaurants so we can enjoy them in the comfort of our own home. Now that we’re parents to two under two, nights out are few and far between. But honestly, cooking these kind of dishes for ourselves can be just as much of a treat, plus you can enjoy them in your pajamas! We open up a nice bottle of wine, cook up one of our favorite delicious dishes, turn on the latest show we’re binging (OMG any Succession fans out there?!) and just pray the kids stay asleep!

The bisque is hearty enough that it can be enjoyed on its on (garnished with fresh lobster meat and crème fraîche) and served with a fresh crusty roll, but we were clearly on a lobster high this week and we actually had ours as the amuse bouche before 2 fresh lobster rolls! For me, there’s nothing else that quite defines summer eating more than lobster and I honestly eat it nonstop from June-September. Adding homemade lobster bisque to the mix has just deepened my obsession even more!