What's the difference between lobster bisque and lobster stew?

Bisques, in general, are always made of crustaceans such as lobster, crab, shrimp, and crayfish. The crustacean shells (usually with a vegetable base) are simmered to make a seafood soup stock. The stock (with the vegetables) is pureed to create a velvety smooth, and creamy texture before adding the seafood meat to the soup. A stew remains chunky with a clear broth base and chunks of vegetables, lobster, other meats, and seafood varieties.

Can I make lobster bisque ahead of time?

Yes, you can make lobster bisque ahead of time. Keep lobster separate if making ahead. Store the parboiled lobster and the bisque separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator; before serving, heat the bisque and cook the lobster with butter in a pan. Store the bisque base and par-cooked lobster meat separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

What is Classic Lobster Bisque?

Lobster Bisque is a classic creamy French soup made from homemade lobster stock. Compared to soups, stews, or chowders, Bisques contain a high amount of cream, usually a higher ratio of cream to stock than cream soups, even chowder – yet another reason they are unapologetically scrumptious. Whole lobster shells are cooked with a soup base, Italian soffritto , or mirepoix, in broth or stock to extract the flavor from the lobster shells to create a flavorful lobster stock. The lobster stock is strained (using a colander) and thickened with heavy cream and cornstarch. The chunks of lobster meat are prepared in butter and added to the soup. You are left with a rich lobster flavor and a perfect harmony of flavors.

Classic Lobster Bisque Recipe (Easy)

Name: Classic Lobster Bisque Recipe (Easy)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 pound cold water lobster tails freshly thawed; 4 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 2 medium carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, plus more for garnish; 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped, plus more for garnish; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 2 bay leaves; 4 cups lobster stock (recipe as follows), OR seafood or fish stock (store-bought); 2 1/2 cups heavy cream; 1 cup white wine or sherry wine

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 pound cold water lobster tails freshly thawed
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 bay leaves
4 cups lobster stock (recipe as follows), OR seafood or fish stock (store-bought)
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup white wine or sherry wine

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Instructions

LOBSTER STOCK

Fill a large pot with 5 cups of water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sea salt and bring to a boil.
Add the lobster tails and bay leaves, cover with a lid and let boil for 5 minutes or until bright red. Do not cook all the way. The lobster meat is cooked in butter at a later time.
Using kitchen tongs, remove the lobster tails, and save the stock in the pot. Let the lobster tails cool slightly, and remove the meat from the shells using kitchen shears (save the shells)* see notes.
Reserve the meat and any liquid from the shells. Chop the lobster meat into large bite-sized chunks. Place in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until later.
Return the lobster shells to the water in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 15 minutes to get as much flavor out of the shells as possible.
Add stock contents to a colander (not a fine mesh sieve) over a large bowl. Pick out noticeable shells. Discard lobster shells. Set lobster stock aside.

BISQUE

Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat. Cook the onions, carrots, celery, and fresh herbs until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and paprika. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in tomato paste, and cook for another minute to coat vegetables. Sprinkle vegetables with cornstarch and cook while occasionally stirring for 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine, simmer, and let reduce to about half. Stir in lobster stock, reduce heat and gently simmer while occasionally stirring until the liquid has thickened slightly and the flavors have blended for about 30 minutes.
Take off the heat, transfer the mixture to a blender (or immersion blender), and blend until completely smooth. Return to medium-low heat and stir in the heavy cream.

HEAT LOBSTER IN BUTTER

When ready to serve, melt 1 tablespoon of salted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add lobster meat and season with freshly cracked salt and pepper. Cook while stirring, just until coated in butter and cooked through 1 to 2 minutes. Do not over cook lobster.

SERVE LOBSTER BISQUE

Stir lobster meat into the bisque. Serve immediately—top with a swirl of heavy cream, a touch of fresh herbs, and a couple of lobster pieces. Serve with artisan crusty bread.

Notes

*How to remove lobster meat from lobster tails:

Place the lobster tail on your counter with the back of the tail facing up. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut down through the center to the end of the tail. Carefully use your thumbs and fingers to open the shell to loosen it from the meat, opening the meat away from the shell side walls. Pull the meat up from the bottom of the shell to separate the shell from the meat underneath it.

Top Tips:

Use cold-water lobster. The taste is superior and worth it for this incredible crab bisque recipe.
Don’t overcook lobster. When par-boiling the lobster, cook the lobster just enough so it easily pries away from the shell – we are not trying to cook the lobster all the way through. The lobster is cooked later with butter.
Sauté in butter just until opaque. The goal of sautéing the lobster in butter is to infuse it with flavor. If the lobster cooks too much from the boiling process, toss it in the butter and gently warm but don’t continue to cook, or it will become rubbery and stiff.
Time-saving tip: the most time-consuming part is chopping the vegetables for the soffritto. You can chop them the day before and store them in the fridge, or even buy pre-diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

Author: Elena Davis
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Category: Savory
Method: French
Cuisine: French