Lobster Bisque | Easy Creamy Seafood Bisque Recipe

I'm re-sharing this post from last February - I recently made it for one of my cooking workshop... they oo-ed and ah-ed.  I had forgotten how good it was! 



In New England almost every restaurant has a Lobster Bisque on the menu.  Some are great - luscious, creamy soups filled with large chunks of claw meat.  Others are thin, flavorless and without any actual lobster meat.  After a few disappointing restaurant experiences with Lobster Bisque I started asking servers to describe their bisque - is there actually lobster meat in it?  creamy?  but not thick and goopy... right?


I made this for lunch after a seafood feast from the night before, making use of our shells to make the stock.  Seafood stock is really very easy to make.  You are basically just boiling the shells!

Lobster Bisque
smooth, creamy seafood soup



New! Printable Recipes, here.

6 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of old bay seasoning
2 cups of Seafood Stock (homemade, see below)
6 cups of milk
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
sea salt and pepper
1 pound of lobster, crab or shrimp (or combination), torn or cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup of heavy cream
chives

In a saucepan, melt butter on medium heat.  Whisk in flour and old bay, continue stirring for 1 minute.  Add seafood stock and continue to whisk over medium heat until smooth.  Add milk and tomato paste.  Cook on medium for 10 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken, stirring periodically to make sure the soup doesn't burn!  Lower the heat.  Continue to cook until the desired thickness is achieved.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.  Add lobster, crab or shrimp and heavy cream.  Garnish with a dash of old bay, chives, and a drizzle of heavy cream.



Homemade Seafood Stock
making use of shells

water
seafood shells (lobster, crab or shrimp)
black peppercorns
sea salt
onion, quartered
garlic head, cut in half

In a large pot of water, boil seafood shells, peppercorns, sea salt, onion and garlic for 30 minutes until it has reduced.  Reserve liquid from other debris (shells, garlic, peppercorns, etc.).