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Lobster Bisque

Lobsters are not a cheap ingredient, but if you do decide to splurge out on some, make sure to retain the shells to make pots of delicious lobster stock.  It freezes very well and can be used in lots of dishes such a seafood paella or risotto. I like to use mine in this very traditional French soup called, “Bisque.”  There is some debate about the origins of the word, but I think the notion that it comes from the French words, “bis cuit,” which means “cooked twice," is probably the most likely to be correct.

Simon Majumdar's Lobster Bisque Recipe

Lobster Bisque Recipe

 

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups lobster stock

  • 2 Cups Water

  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream

  • 1 Cup Dry White Wine (optional)

  • ¼ Cup Brandy (optional)

  • 1 Onion (diced)

  • 2 Carrots (peeled and diced)

  • 3 Cloves garlic (sliced)

  • 1 Cup pre-cooked rice

  • 1 Tsp Butter

  • 2 Tsp Olive Oil

  • 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste

  • 1 Tsp Salt

  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

  • 1 Tsp Red Chili Flakes

  • ½ Tsp Turmeric (for color.  You can also use saffron water)

  • 2 Bay Leaves (dried are fine)

  • 8 Black Pepper Corns

  • 2 Tsp Dried Thyme

  • 1 Tsp Paprika

 
Instructions

  1. Heat the oil and melt the butter together in a large saucepan.

  2. Add the onions, garlic and carrots into the pan and season with a little salt and a sprinkle of pepper.

  3. Allow the vegetables to cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until they begin to take on a bit of color.

  4. Add the tomato paste and cook for a further 3 minutes.

  5. Add the peppercorns, chili flakes, paprika, thyme, bay leaves and turmeric and combine well with the vegetables.

  6. Add the lobster stock, the white wine the brandy (if you are using them) and the water.

  7. Cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes and then strain to remove the vegetables, retaining all the liquid.

  8. Return the liquid to the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes to reduce the amount by about 1/3.

  9. Add the cooked rice and cook for 5 minutes.

  10. Puree the liquid/rice mixture.  I do this with an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one, you can transfer the liquid to a standard blender.

  11. Pass the resulting soup through a sieve (this is optional, but I find gives a really smooth end result.

  12. Add the cream and cook gently for 5 minutes.

  13. Season with salt and to taste.

  14. Serve with a splash of cream and a sprinkle of pepper as a garnish.

  15. If you do have any lobster meat left over, you can add that just before serving.

 
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