Bisque Food

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• In a saute pan heat a little oil over med-high heat and saute shallots, onions, and garlic for one minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
• Add the worcestershire, tabasco, and thyme and saute for another minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the sherry.
• Add the paprika, hot water and lobster base and combine well.
• Stir in tomato paste and add the bay leaves.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Whisk in heavy cream and the butter and bring to a boil.
• Add the lobster and simmer until cooked through.
• Serve with crusty garlic bread.

LOBSTER OR CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• Saute onion and carrot in 2 tablespoons butter until soft. Set aside.
• In 4 quart saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter and add flour, whisking constantly over medium heat until roux becomes light brown (about 5 minutes). DO NOT BURN!
• Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly to ensure mixture stays smooth.
• Add onions and carrots, cover, and simmer for 1/2 hour.
• Add cream, sherry, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and lobster or crab and simmer an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh minced chives if desired.

SHRIMP & CRAB SEAFOOD BISQUE RECIPE

Steps:

• Make quick stock: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp shells and sauté, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the bouillon cubes with water and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the stock into large bowl, discarding the shells. Transfer the stock to a large (4 cup) measuring cup. You should have 3 ¾ cup of stock. If not, add enough water to make 3 ¾ cups. Set aside.
• Sauté Shrimp: (Lightly wipe out pot if necessary) Return pot to the stove and melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until just cooked and opaque, about 3-4 minutes. Use a large-slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate. Set shrimp aside - reserving 4-6 shrimp for garnish, the rest will go back in the soup in step 6.
• Sauté vegetables: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the onions (white & light green parts only), carrots and celery. Sauté (sweat), stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, old bay, cayenne and season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add thickening agents + wine: Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste is caramelized, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the brandy and sherry, using the back of a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the brandy/sherry are almost evaporated.
• Add stock: Slowly whisk in the reserved seafood stock - whisking continuously while you add the stock to the pan to prevent clumping. Bring soup to a simmer, then immediately reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, whisking occasionally, for 15 minutes.
• Add shrimp & puree: Turn off the heat and add the shrimp to the pot (minus the shrimp you are reserving for garnish). Puree the soup using an immersion blender or transfer the soup in batches to a high-powered blender.
• Add cream & crab: Return the heat to medium-low and stir in 1 ½ cups of the cream. Add half of the crab meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed throughout - don't overcook or let the bisque boil! Taste and adjust for seasoning with more cream, salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve: Divide the bisque among serving bowls. Top with reserved shrimp and remaining crab meat. Sprinkle with remaining scallions (dark green parts) and optional garnishes if desired. Enjoy!

SEAFOOD BISQUE

Steps:

• In 4-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth, half-and-half and wine. Stir in bell peppers and cod. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in shrimp. Simmer uncovered 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Stir in pesto, salt and pepper.

TOMATO BISQUE

Steps:

• Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion, celery, salt, pepper, cayenne and basil for about 5-6 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
• Add in the garlic and stir an additional 45 seconds before adding in the broth, tomatoes and sugar.
• Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes before blending until perfectly smooth with an immersion blender.
• Add in the heavy cream, mix well and serve using more heavy cream and parsley as garnishes.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Fill a large stockpot or Dutch oven half way up with water. Bring to a boil then season with ½ tablespoon salt. (While I'm waiting for the water to boil, I chop my veggies in the food processor). Reduce heat slightly and keep water at a gentle boil. Carefully add lobster tails and boil just until tails turn red, about 2-4 minutes depending on size. We don't want to cook the lobster meat all the way because we are going to sauté it in butter later. Remove tails with tongs or a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Reserve 1 cup liquid and discard the rest.
• Place the lobsters belly sided own on a cutting board. Use a sharp pair of kitchen shears to cut straight down the middle of the shell from the head to the fin. Pry the shells open with your fingers and remove the meat. Chop the meat into large bite-size pieces, cover and refrigerate. Cut the lobster shells with the kitchen shears into large pieces (about 3-inches).
• Melt butter with olive oil over medium heat in the now empty pot. Add lobster shells and cook for 2 minutes to develop the flavor. Stir in onions, celery, carrots, salt and pepper and cook an additional 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, tarragon, parsley, thyme, paprika and garlic; cook one minute. Add clam juice, chicken broth and bay leaves; cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and reduce to a simmer over medium-low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally (it will be thick).
• Add soup contents to a colander (not a fine mesh sieve) over a large bowl. Pick out noticeable shells. Turn the colander slightly on its side so we can use the larger side holes. Force all of the contents except the shells through the holes by pressing down with a spatula; discard lobster shells.
• Add strained contents to a high-powered blender along with half and half and cornstarch. Blend until smooth using the soup setting.
• Add soup back to the stockpot. Stir in cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer until it reaches desired consistency. For a thinner soup, stir in some reserved lobster stock. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to taste (I like more pepper). At this point you can refrigerate or continue if ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted 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.
• Stir lobster meat into soup. Serve immediately.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Fill large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. There should be enough water to cover lobsters completely when immersed. Place live lobsters in boiling water head first to minimize splashing. When water re-boils, turn down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not overcook lobsters. Remove lobsters from the pot using tongs; save all the water in stockpot as this is now a flavorful stock to be re-used.
• Place 10 cups of stock in a clean stockpot and put on low heat. Clean claws and tails of lobsters and reserve meat, legs, and swimmerets. After lobsters are cleaned, place shells in stockpot with 10 cups of stock. Cut bodies in quarters and place in stockpot, making sure to include all roe and tomalley in pot. Add 1 cup tomato paste and simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to have heat so high as to burn stock. Pour entire contents of pot through sieve into clean stockpot; this should now be 8 cups of glorious red stock.
• Place onions, celery, carrots, thyme, parsley and saffron in a large saute pan, add 4 cups stock from original stock pot and put on high heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup tomato paste and black pepper. Turn down heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Press entire contents of saute pan through sieve into stockpot of 8 cups previously made stock.
• To finish Bisque, put pot on medium heat. Add heavy cream slowly, using whisk to blend. Add sherry. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes; bisque will thicken slightly. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and slowly add to bisque with whisk. Simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes.
• If you prefer your bisque to be thicker, you may add more cornstarch, or perhaps, flour, but have found the bisque thickens nicely over low heat, and additional cornstarch or flour takes away from the wonderful flavor.
• Place pieces of previous cleaned lobster meat in bowl and add 1 cup of bisque. Garnish with legs and swimmerets around the bowl and one parsley leaf in center, if desired.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Stock: In a large pot lined with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch salted water to a boil. Steam lobster tails, top-side down, until just cooked through and tails curl under, 6 to 8 minutes for small tails and 8 to 10 minutes for large. Transfer to a plate and let cool. When cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears to cut through underside of tails. Remove meat from shells; reserve shells. Run a paring knife along back of each tail and remove vein. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add shells and cook until fragrant and deep red in color, about 4 minutes. Add fish stock, wine, and 6 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, skimming impurities from surface, until reduced to 6 cups, 40 to 45 minutes. Strain stock into a large liquid-measuring cup or heatproof bowl. Wipe out pot. (Stock can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer up to 3 months.)
• Bisque: In same pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne; cook 1 minute. Add brandy, sherry, and strained lobster stock; season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf.
• Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Let cool 15 minutes. Whisk together cream and cornstarch, then stir into bisque. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning as desired.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add lobster meat and cook until just warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour soup into bowls and serve, topped with lobster, fennel fronds, and a squeeze of lemon, if desired. Soup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Over medium heat, heat butter in a large pot.
• Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until soft.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes or until tomato paste covers the vegetables.
• Sprinkle flour on top and cook for 1 minute.
• Add seafood stock and wine. Stir in with bay leaf and thyme.
• Reduce heat and let mixture simmer until liquid is reduced and flavors combine.
• Stir occasionally and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf and thyme then puree in a blender until smooth, in batches as needed.
• Bring heat back to medium-low. Add the lobster tails. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.
• Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

FRENCH-STYLE LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Melt the butter in a large pan, once melted add the flour, a pinch of salt and pepper and the paprika. Stir well.
• Slowly whisk in the milk, followed by the chicken stock, the white wine, and continue stirring until a smooth and slightly thickened to a cream-like consistency. (This stirring can take several minutes but spending the time at this stage of the bisque is critical to the success of the dish. Be careful not to let the mixture boil as this may cause the bisque to curdle.)
• Add the onion, the carrots and simmer (again, do not boil) for 10 minutes. Add the cooked lobster meat and stir. Taste the bisque and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
• Stir in the cognac and finally, the cream. Heat through until piping hot.
• Serve in hot bowls with a crusty baguette on the side.
• Enjoy! Updated by Elaine Lemm

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Boil water, add salt followed by Lobster, boil for 6 minutes. Remove lobster from water with tongs and place in cold water to cool. Reserve cooking liquid, this is your fish stock. If opting to use a ready cooked lobster you can substitute with other fish stock from a cube.
• Once cool enough to handle, place lobster on its back and with a chefs knife, cut the lobster from underneath, all the way from the tail to the head. Rinse away any tomally from the head cavities. Remove and refrigerate claw and tail meat.
• Heat 25 g. of the butter in your soup pot. Add the crushed lobster shells. Each piece should be not more than roughly 1 square inch. All pieces should be in contact with the butter, fry at medium high heat for 5 minutes until colour and smell is maximised.
• Deglaze the pot with the white wine, leaving the shells in the pot. Add the parsley, reserved salted boiling water and the chicken stock. Leave to boil slowly for 45 minutes. Place a lid on the pot after half the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, prep your veg and sautee in the rest of the butter. Once the stock is ready, drain the stock, taking care to remove any shell and parsley. Add the stock to the vegetables with the Thyme, Bayleaf, Tomato Pure, Brandy and Sherry. Boil slowly under a lid for another 45 minutes.
• When ready to serve, blend the bisque, add cream and reheat. Heat a tiny knob of butter with half the lemon juice in a pan, add the reserved lobster meat, fry over a moderate heat for 1 minutes. Add the rest of the lemon juice to the bisque. Place the lobster meat in a heated soup bowl and serve the bisque in front of the guest for added drama.

CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• Break up the large pieces of crab shell: If you have large pieces of crab shell, you'll want to break them into smaller pieces. A good way to do this is to put them in a plastic freezer bag and use a rolling pin or wine bottle to roll over them to break them up a bit. Don't crush them.
• Roast the shells: For extra flavor at this point, put them on a roasting pan in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes. That will help bring out more of the crab flavor.
• Cover the shells and (almost) simmer: Put the crab shells in a large stock pot and cover with an inch of water. Put the heat on medium high and slowly heat up the water. When you see little bubbles of air starting to rise to the surface, lower the heat to medium. Do not let the water boil! You want to keep the water temp at just below a simmer, around 180°F if you have an instant thermometer. The bubbles should only occasionally come up to the surface. Do not stir! Stirring the shells will muddy the stock. As foam develops on the surface of the water, skim it away with a large spoon. Keep skimming off the foam every so often, and maintaining the heat at just below a simmer, for about an hour.
• Add the wine, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, herbs, and peppercorns: Once the stock is no longer generating foam, add the wine, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, parsley and peppercorns. Increase the heat to return the stock to a low simmer, then lower the heat to maintain that very low simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any new foam that develops. Add salt and remove from heat.
• Remove the large solids and strain through a lined sieve: Use tongs or a spider strainer to remove and discard the largest pieces of shells from the stock. Then place a few layers of dampened cheesecloth or paper towels over a large, fine mesh strainer placed over a large bowl or another pot. Pour the stock through the strainer to strain. Discard the solids. Either use the stock right away, or cool for future use. If you aren't going to use the stock in a couple of days, you can freeze it. Remember to leave enough headroom at the top of any jar you use so that the liquid has room to expand as it freezes. You should use frozen shellfish stock up within 2 months. Makes 2 to 3 quarts. Reserve 4 cups for the crab bisque, refrigerate or freeze the rest.
• Sauté the shallots in butter: In a large, 4 or 6 quart saucepan, melt butter on medium heat, add the shallots and cook gently until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the wine, stock, rice, tomato paste, and then simmer: Add the wine, stock, white rice, and tomato paste. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to continue to simmer until rice is completely cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for several minutes.
• Add two thirds of the crab meat, and then purée: Add about two thirds of the crab meat to the soup. Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender and purée until completely smooth. Return puréed soup back to soup pan.
• Add the cream, remaining crab meat, salt, and cayenne: Add cream and gently heat soup until it is hot enough for serving. Add the remaining one third of the crab meat. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste (about 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne).