Lobster Bisque is just one of those things that make people happy. They feel special when they see it on the menu, especially at a dinner party in your home and not just at a restaurant. And with this recipe it’s easier and more doable than you think! Plus, it can be done ahead so it’s a win-win for everyone.
What Makes it Work?
This Lobster Bisque comes out tasting like it cooked for hours but it didn’t all. The layered flavors start with one key step, caramelizing onions. This step achieves a rich, deep flavor base for the soup that gets even better by deglazing the pan with not one but two kinds of alcohol (Sherry & Brandy). To that you add more veggies and a few herbs, a little tomato paste, and a combination of seafood and chicken stock with a touch of cayenne for a kick. The cream and butter at the end just kind of round it all out and then you top it off with a good amount of well-seasoned sautéed lobster tails and you can’t believe how delicious this soup is in no time.
Best of all, by side stepping the fresh lobster stock step of a traditional Lobster Bisque (i.e., making a stock out of fresh shells and aromatics) you save a huge amount of time and effort. Don’t get me wrong, Lobster Bisque is delicious with a fresh stock, but for the home cook who wants to make it yummy without all that hassle this is a great option.
And the final key to this deliciousness is the marinated Lobster Tail. It’s a quick but necessary step. Season the raw lobster meat (out of the shell) with a little butter, garlic powder, cayenne pepper (optional), lemon juice and salt and pepper and then grilling it on the grill or in a cast iron skillet on the stove. This gives the meat itself a real pop of flavor that enhances the lobster’s natural sweetness.
What the slurry?
So, when you think of Lobster Bisque you think of a thick, luscious consistency right? With that bit of tang from the Sherry and the sweetness of fresh lobster? Me too. We’ve talked about how we get the flavors but what about the silky consistency? You basically have two main options of how to thicken the soup. One, create a roux with equal parts flour and butter and cook the flour off until it loses the raw flavor. Or, two, create a slurry with equal parts cornstarch and water and add that in towards the end after you puree the mixture to kind of finish the thickening process. I chose the latter to keep this recipe even easier. Just make sure you whisk all the lumps out of the cornstarch because there’s nothing worse than a lumpy bite if it’s not lobster meat.
Easy Lobster Bisque Key Ingredients
Lobster Tails
Let’s begin with the obvious. Lobster Tails. Because we are bypassing the step of using the shells in the soup base itself it’s important to get the best lobster tails you can find which means large ones. I personally really like the Costco ones if you have a store near you that carries them. If not, you can certainly find them frozen in other retail locations or online. And frozen is okay because you can thaw them ahead of time in the refrigerator. Tip: To thaw properly remove any vacuum seal packaging or plastic and place in a glass dish covered in the fridge overnight. Fresh is obviously ideal but that’s not always possible. Regardless, the lobster flavor in this lobster bisque is all going to come down to how much lobster meat each person actually gets in their bisque. So be generous. Three is a minimum for 4-6 servings.
Clam Juice
Why is claim juice essential in this Lobster Bisque recipe? It gives the base of the soup that little bit of briny, seawater note that you really can’t get any other way without making your own lobster stock. That said you could use a good quality seafood stock instead.
Dry Sherry
Sherry is a wine that has been fortified with Brandy and has a nutty and tangy flavor profile. To me, it’s very distinct. I expect that note to come through in any Lobster Bisque, which is what makes it a key ingredient. You could substitute a dry white wine instead if you don’t have any on hand. And definitely use dry instead of sweet Sherry as you want that crispness not sweet. I also love to make sherry roasted mushrooms with garlic, shallot, sherry, butter and fresh thyme and serve them over creamy polenta. Such a great dinner party dish.
Brandy
Brandy on the other hand is a spirit aged in oak and has more of a fruity and sweet flavor to it. Often smokey from the oak. I like the combination of both Sherry and Brandy in this recipe but if you need to narrow it down to just one then I’d go with Sherry and just increase the amount of Sherry to 1/2 cup (and taste at the end). Of course, there’s always Brandy and eggnog if you need something to do with the leftover brandy. Just sayin’.
Tarragon
Fresh tarragon is essential for this recipe as it has a really unique flavor profile. It’s best described as sweet and peppery with a bit of bitterness. It lends the soup base an herbal, earthy quality. One thing to note is that is pretty strong so go easy on how much you add. What to do with leftover tarragon? Goes really well in chicken salad or try this delicious Creamy Tarragon Chicken recipe by Eat, Little Bird. Or hey, if you are going for more lobster later try my recipe for Lobster Lettuce Cups with Pickled Apples & Tarragon
Now for the Lobster Bisque Recipe…
Easy Lobster Bisque Ingredients:
Lobster for the Bisque Soup
- 3 large lobster tails
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ lemon juiced
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Salt & Pepper
Bisque Soup
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ cup Brandy
- 1/3 cup Dry Sherry
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 Tbsp Tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ tsp fresh tarragon
- 1- 8oz bottle Clam juice (1 ¼ cups)
- 3 cups good quality chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 Tbsp warm water
- Salt
- Pepper
- chives for garnish
- Lobster (above)
Easy Lobster Bisque Method:
- In a Dutch oven or soup pot add 1 Tablespoon each of oil and butter over medium-to-medium low heat and sauté the onions in a single layer seasoned with the sugar and a little salt and pepper. To fully caramelize they will take about 20 minutes and you can’t rush this step. Stir occasionally to make sure they don’t burn and redistribute around the pan into a single layer for even cooking.
- When the onions have achieved a deep caramel color deglaze the pan with the Dry Sherry and Brandy. Once the liquids have just about evaporated into the onions add in the carrots, celery and garlic, cayenne, tomato paste, thyme leaves and fresh tarragon. Sauté and stir for 3-4 minutes to just start to soften the veggies. Add the clam juice and chicken broth, stir well and let the mixture cook for a good 15-20 minutes to let the flavors develop. You don’t really want to reduce the liquid you just want to marry the flavors.
- While the soup is concentrating in flavor remove the lobster meat from the shells by flipping the lobsters on their backs and cutting down the soft belly side of the shell from the tail end up to toward the head. Push back the sides of the shell, opening like a book, and gently remove the lobster meat. Flip back onto the belly on a cutting board and remove the digestive tract. Melt butter and add in the garlic powder, cayenne, a pinch of salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add the lobster and coat well.
- Puree the mixture along with last Tablespoon of butter in a Vitamix or good blender. If you can achieve a super smooth consistency, then you don’t need to strain it but otherwise pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and then return to the pan. Combine the cornstarch with the warm water and whisk well to remove any clumps. Add the heavy cream and cornstarch to the soup mixture over medium low heat until thickens. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Grill or pan sauté the lobster meat in the remaining Tablespoon of oil and chop to desired size. Place lobster meat in each bowl, top with soup and then more lobster meat. Add fresh chives for garnish.
Presentation:
This beautiful soup deserves an elegant presentation. My favorite is a deep bowl that is partially filled so that you don’t lose all the lobster into the soup. You want some to poke through which also gives a better lobster to soup ratio and more flavor. But if you want a more casual style bowl or a soup and crostini or grilled cheese combo these are all great options.
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