French
Classic Lobster Bisque
Roasted lobster shells, tomato, brandy, sherry, aromatics, and rice create a silken coral bisque finished with cream and tender lobster meat.
6 servings · 35 minutes prep · 110 minutes cook
Ingredients
Lobster and Shell Stock
- 2 live lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 6 cups fish stock, unsalted or low-sodium
- 1/4 cup long-grain white rice
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
Finish
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- up to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste, add gradually to taste after the cream is incorporated
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
Cook and Pick the Lobsters
- Bring the water to a boil in a covered stockpot. Add the lobsters, cover, and, once vigorous steam returns, steam for 12 to 14 minutes. Open one tail joint and verify the thickest tail meat is opaque and reaches 145°F (63°C); if it does not, cover and steam for 1 to 2 minutes more before rechecking. Shell color is descriptive, not the controlling doneness test. Transfer with tongs and cool until manageable.
- Twist off tails and claws, pick out the meat, and refrigerate it. Chop shells and bodies into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, reserving all juices; discard the feathery gills and stomach sac.
Roast the Shell Base
- Heat the olive oil in the cleaned pot over medium-high. Add shells and cook 8 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and brick red. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for 6 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste for 3 minutes until darkened. Remove from flame, add the brandy and sherry, return to heat, and reduce by two-thirds for 6 to 8 minutes; do not ignite.
Simmer, Blend, and Strain
- Add the reserved lobster juices, strained through a fine-mesh sieve to remove shell fragments, with the fish stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 35 minutes. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing the shells and vegetables firmly, then discard all shell solids.
- Add the rice to the strained stock and simmer for 20 minutes until very tender. Working in small batches with a heat-safe blender no more than half full and the lid vented, blend until completely smooth. Strain once more through a clean fine-mesh sieve.
Finish the Bisque
- Return strained soup to a clean pot and simmer until about 6 cups (1.4 L) remain, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cream, butter, lemon juice, and cayenne. Add salt gradually, tasting as you go, and stop when the bisque is well seasoned.
- Cut reserved lobster meat into bite-size pieces and warm it in the bisque for 2 minutes without boiling. Ladle into warm bowls and serve hot while the lobster is tender and the bisque remains fluid.
Allergen and Product Check
- Allergen note: the base recipe contains milk and shellfish. The dairy-free cashew-cream option introduces cashew (tree nut); for a nut-free dairy-free version, use an unsweetened oat culinary cream labeled for the relevant allergies and reduce only if needed to match the stated consistency.
