Easy & Delicious Lobster Bisque Recipe

[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ight spring meals might be knocking on our door, but we can’t resist indulging in some good old comfort food once in a while. Now when it comes to comfort food there are endless options from southern fried chicken, mac n cheese to burritos and bowls of cold cereal. But what about those days when we want a warm, home cooked meal with a flair? We have two words: Lobster bisque. This French inspired soup is perfect for those days when you want to treat yourself to a fancy meal without having to dress up and go to a 3 star restaurant. Luckily, we have created this simple recipe to show you how easy (and delicious) it is to cook a gourmet meal right from your kitchen.

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Lobster Broth

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• 3-4 lobster tails, with shells on

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• 3 cups of water

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Bisque

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• 1 tbsp. of olive oil
• 3 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 2-3 stalks of celery
• 1 cup of carrots, chopped or shredded
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. of flour
• ½ cup of white wine
• 2 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. of hot sauce

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• 1 tsp. of kosher salt
• ½ tsp. of ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning
• ⅓ cup of dry sherry
• 4 ounces of canned whole tomatoes or 2 tbsp. of tomato paste
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 2½ cups of lobster broth (alt: seafood broth)
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of sour cream

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To Make the Broth

Pour three cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the lobster tails once the water is boiling. Let it boil 10-12 minutes, or until the shells turn a bright red and the meat is opaque. Turn off the heat, and remove the lobster from the boiling water. Let it cool. Using a kitchen scissors or knife, remove the meat from the shells. Return the shells into the broth again. Bring to a boil and let it cook for another 20-30 mins. Turn off the heat, and strain the broth to make sure there are no shells. Set the lobster broth aside. Tip: Making the broth ahead of time or the night before will cut down on cooking time.

To Make the Bisque

In a large pot heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Next add the onion and saute for about 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Throw in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Next add the flour and butter. Stir until everything is well combined. Make sure to scrape the sides. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes.

While the onion-garlic-flour mixture is sautéing, heat 1 tbsp of butter on a pan over medium heat. Next add the celery and carrots, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables have softened, take them off the heat.

Slowly add the wine to the onion-garlic-flour mixture, and stir.  Add the carrots and celery.  

Once the everything is well mixed,  add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper and italian seasoning. Cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add the sherry, making sure to scrape any bits sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. Finally add the paprika, whole tomatoes (or tomato paste) and lobster broth. Stir until everything is combined. Allow it to simmer (uncovered) for 10-12 minutes. 

It’s time to blend the soup together by using a blender or immersion blender. You may have to do several batches if using a standard blender. The soup should be very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and turn the heat to medium high. Using a whisk, start to whisk in the milk and sour cream. You can taste the soup to see if you need to add any salt or pepper. Drop the lobster chucks into the soup and let simmer for 5-7 minutes. 

Serve alongside garlic or multigrain bread and a side salad.