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lobster bisque

Lionors avatar
Recipe by
Alix E
@Lionors
The terminally messy desk, TX

Depending on how much lobster you want to add, it can either be an accompanying soup dish for a surf and turf dinner or as a main dish accompanied by crusty garlic bread and a salad. Leftovers (if you have any) will keep up to two days in the refrigerator.

yield serving(s)
prep time 1 Hr
cook time 1 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For lobster bisque

  • 6 Tbsp
    cream sherry (do not use cooking sherry)
  • 1/2 to 1 lb
    steamed, cubed lobster, 1/2 oz reserved (note: this amount can be adjusted depending upon how substantial you want the soup to be. 1 pound gives a very robust, chunky soup, suitable for a main dish.)
  • 5 Tbsp
    first quality butter
  • 2 Tbsp
    minced shallots
  • 2 Tbsp
    chopped green onion
  • 1/4 c
    carrots, finely chopped
  • 3 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c
    sweet onion, minced
  • 1/4 c
    celery, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp
    old bay seasoning
  • 2 Tbsp
    tomato paste
  • 3 Tbsp
    flour
  • 1 tsp
    dried thyme
  • 1 tsp
    paprika
  • 2 tsp
    worcestershire sauce
  • 2 1/2 c
    heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup reserved
  • 1 c
    chicken broth
  • 2
    bay leaves
  • 3 tsp
    better than bouillon lobster base (to taste; you may need up to 5 tsp)
  • white pepper to taste
  • salt to taste

How To Make lobster bisque

  • 1
    Dice lobster. Pour 2T sherry over lobster, stir gently to coat, cover, and refrigerate. (This can be up to 2 hours beforehand.)
  • 2
    Cut up all vegetables, get out all spices and measure all ingredients so you have them immediately available. A moment's inattention can mean a burned roux!
  • 3
    In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Sauté shallots, green onion, onion, garlic, carrots and celery, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are translucent and soft.
  • 4
    Add tomato paste and Old Bay. Cook two to three minutes, stirring constantly, until paste darkens in color. Do not allow to blacken or burn.
  • 5
    Deglaze the pan with 1T sherry.
  • 6
    Add thyme, worcestershire, paprika and flour. Cook, stirring roux constantly and scraping bottom of pan, for two to three minutes. The roux should become a rich brown. Do not allow to blacken or burn.
  • 7
    Deglaze pan with 3T sherry, making certain to scrape all the roux from the bottom of the pan.
  • 8
    Add chicken broth and 2 cups heavy cream slowly, whisking until soup is smooth. Heat to a slow boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat down, add bay leaves, and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly reduced. Add lobster base and stir, then adjust to taste. (You may need up to an additional 2 tsp. of base. If it becomes too strong, you can cut it with the cream later.)
  • 9
    Remove soup from heat. Remove bay leaves. Use immersion blender or pour into regular blender and blend until smooth. If using a regular blender, return soup to pot. Taste and adjust lobster base/cream ratio if needed. Soup should taste full, meaty and rich. Add salt and white pepper to taste.
  • 10
    Add diced lobster, stir to combine, then simmer gently until lobster is heated through.
  • 11
    Top with reserved diced lobster for garnish or swirl a teaspoon of reserved cream over the top of each serving.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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