Lobster Bisque Cream Soup (Printable View)
A creamy blend of lobster, cognac, and fresh vegetables creating a smooth, flavorful bisque.
# Ingredient List:
→ Seafood
01 - 2 live lobsters (1.5 lb each) or 1.1 lb cooked lobster meat
→ Aromatics & Vegetables
02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 carrot, peeled and diced
06 - 1 celery stalk, diced
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
→ Liquids & Seasonings
09 - ½ cup dry white wine
10 - 2 tbsp cognac or brandy
11 - 4 cups fish or seafood stock
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thyme
14 - ½ tsp paprika
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Cream Finish
16 - ¾ cup heavy cream
→ Garnish
17 - 1 tbsp chopped chives or parsley (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Steam or boil live lobsters for 8 to 10 minutes until bright red. Cool, then extract meat from tails, claws, and knuckles. Reserve shells; chop meat into bite-size pieces and refrigerate.
02 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add lobster shells, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Sauté 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and shells release fragrance.
03 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add white wine and cognac, scraping browned bits from pot bottom. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce alcohol.
04 - Add fish stock, bay leaf, thyme, and paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes to develop flavor.
05 - Remove lobster shells and bay leaf, discarding them. Blend soup until smooth using an immersion blender or regular blender in batches.
06 - Return soup to pot, stir in heavy cream, and gently bring to a simmer. Add lobster meat and heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
07 - Ladle bisque into bowls. Optionally garnish with chopped chives or parsley. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It tastes impossibly luxurious yet becomes surprisingly manageable once you understand the technique—there's a real magic in how simple ingredients transform into something restaurant-worthy.
- The aroma filling your kitchen as it simmers is worth the effort alone, and your guests will absolutely swoon when you tell them you made it from scratch.
- Unlike many fancy dishes, this actually gets better when made a day ahead, so you can prep most of it ahead and feel like a composed, elegant host.
02 -
- Never, ever let the bisque boil hard once the cream is added. High heat breaks the cream and gives you a separated, grainy texture instead of that silky dream. Gentle heat is your friend—a quiet simmer is all you need.
- If you have access to it, roasting the lobster shells in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 10 minutes before adding them to the pot deepens the flavor dramatically. I discovered this by accident one evening and it changed the whole game.
- Taste for seasoning at the very end. Seafood stock can vary widely in saltiness, so resist the urge to season heavily early on.
03 -
- If you absolutely cannot find or afford live lobster, frozen lobster meat works fine—you'll just need to buy extra shells from a fishmonger to get the same depth of flavor, and they're usually cheap or free if you ask nicely.
- An immersion blender is worth having just for bisque—it gives you a silkier texture than a regular blender and means you don't have to transfer anything in batches when you're already tired from cooking.