Lobster Bisque

December 23, 2018 18 Comments

I’ve talked a lot about how we are a bit seafood mad in this house. Shrimp is one of my favorite foods in the entire universe. My husband is nuts for scallops. We both have playful arguments about who loves lobster more. My father-in-law knows this well and so he gave us our Christmas gift early in the form of gorgeous, gorgeous lobster tails. I couldn’t think of a better gift, we were both so happy! Food gifts, people. That’s the way to the heart, am I right? Anyway, I decided to make an incredibly luscious and deeply flavored lobster bisque with said lobster tails for a warming meal. It needed some time to simmer, but otherwise it was a really simple process!

I boiled the lobster tails first for about 6-8 minutes in salty water. Once the shells became a vivid red, I knew they were ready. I cracked the shells open but tried not to decimate them too much to get out that wonderful lobster meat. I wanted the shells as intact as possible so that they were easy to remove from the soup later.
The tail shells, the salty water I boiled them in, lots of wine, cognac and chicken stock formed the base of the lobster bisque. I also added in lots of fennel, onion and roasted garlic for big aromatic flavors. Now I know this is sacrilegious, but I decided to use red wine here instead of the more traditional white. I wanted a more assertive wine flavor than you can get in most whites to balance the sweetness of the lobster. All about that pinot noir life, folks!
After it all simmered together for an hour, I removed the shells and herb sprigs. Then it was time for an immersion blender to do the work for me. It made the whole mixture, including the lobster meat I added back in, into a lovely and smooth soup. Being safe about blending hot liquids though was most important. I did it on low speed. You could also blend it in batches in a blender. I loved how it was nice and rich and thick once I stirred in the heavy cream!

That was all there was to making this absolutely magnificent lobster bisque! It had so much flavor from using the lobster tail shells to cook in the base, those aromatics and especially the liquids. The texture was like velvet. Hope you all enjoy this cold weather meal, it is so comforting. xoxo

Lobster Bisque
Lobster Bisque
5 from 3 votes
Lobster Bisque
Print
Lobster Bisque
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 

This lobster bisque is so luscious and deeply flavored for a perfect start to the meal or a meal in itself! It’s so comforting on cold nights.

Course: Appetizer
Keyword: Lobster, Lobster Bisque, Soup
Servings: 4
Calories: 346 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu’s Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 4 cups water
  • salt as needed
  • 4 whole lobster tails about 4 ounces each to make a pound
  • 1 dash olive oil
  • 1 small fennel bulb chopped small to yield a cup
  • 1 whole onion diced small
  • 3 cloves roasted garlic smashed *see note to make ahead
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 can tomato sauce 8 ounces
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 1/2 cup cognac
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh tarragon plus additional chopped for garnish
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream plus additional to swirl on top
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions

  1. First, add the water to a large pot and salt it generously. Bring it to a boil, then boil the lobster tails in it until they turn a vivid red for about 5-6 minutes. Remove the tails and let them cool enough to handle. Turn off the heat temporarily. Pour the salty lobster cooking water into a heat proof bowl or container to reserve it. Then crack the tails open and remove the meat, trying not to break the tails too much into little pieces. Chop up the meat into tiny pieces and store it in the refrigerator while the soup cooks. 

  2. Put the pot back onto medium high heat and heat up the olive oil in it. Add the tail shells, fennel, onion and roasted garlic and let them get fragrant for a few minutes. Season the mixture with the paprika and cayenne. Then stir in the tomato paste and tomato sauce and let them cook for a minutes. Pour in the wine and cognac and scrape up the bottom of the pan as they help deglaze it. Finally add the chicken stock, reserved cooking water, thyme sprig and tarragon sprig. Bring the soup to a low boil, then reduce it to a simmer on medium low for an hour.

  3. When the hour is up, remove the tail shells and herb sprigs with a slotted spoon. Add in the lobster meat and let it just warm up in the liquid for a minute. Then use an immersion blender to completely blend the soup until it is smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice and blend it a little more. Then just ladle it into bowls and drizzle a little more heavy cream into it for a pretty pattern and sprinkle additional chopped tarragon on top. Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Recipe Notes

*To roast garlic, cut the top off to reveal the tops of the cloves. Drizzle the top with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, then wrap it in foil. Roast it in a 350 oven for an hour, then refrigerate it and use it as needed! It keeps for a long time.

Nutrition Facts
Lobster Bisque
Amount Per Serving (1 bowl)
Calories 346 Calories from Fat 91
% Daily Value*
Fat 10.1g16%
Saturated Fat 5.6g35%
Cholesterol 196mg65%
Sodium 1555mg68%
Potassium 953mg27%
Carbohydrates 16.3g5%
Fiber 3.8g16%
Sugar 5.8g6%
Protein 24.8g50%
Calcium 150mg15%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This is such a luscious and flavorful lobster bisque that makes a fantastic starter or a meal in itself! #lobster #seafood #soup #lobsterbisque #jeanieandluluskitchen
Lobster Bisque

18 thoughts on “Lobster Bisque”

  6. I have never tried lobster bisque, but this seriously looks so good so maybe I will!!

  8. 5 stars
    That looks super good, even though I hate seafood, but I am willing to try that!!!

  9. I have been dying to eat lobster lately. I have yet to try it and this recipe is making my mouth water!

Comments are closed.

5 from 3 votes