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Classic Lobster Bisque

Name: Classic Lobster Bisque
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 Live lobsters (about 1 1/4 pounds each); 4 tablespoons Unsalted butter, divided; 1 Yellow onion, chopped; 1 Carrot, chopped; 1 Celery stalk, chopped; 3 Garlic cloves, smashed; 2 tablespoons Tomato paste; ¼ cup Cognac or brandy; ¼ cup Dry sherry; 4 cups Seafood stock; 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour; 1 cup Heavy cream; 1 Bay leaf; 3 Fresh thyme sprigs; ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper; to taste Kosher salt and black pepper; to taste Snipped chives and lemon wedges, for serving

Silky, sherry-kissed, and worth every shell.

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Prep20 min

Simmer50 min

Serves4

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The real thing starts with the shells, not a carton. Steaming the lobsters, then simmering those shells with vegetables and sherry, is what gives the bisque its depth — the cream just makes it luxurious. It sounds like a project; it's really one pot and a blender.

Ingredients

Set servings and the amounts update themselves. This is the only ingredient list on the page.

4 servings or type

2 Live lobsters (about 1 1/4 pounds each)

4 tablespoons Unsalted butter, divided

1 Yellow onion, chopped

1 Carrot, chopped

1 Celery stalk, chopped

3 Garlic cloves, smashed

2 tablespoons Tomato paste

¼ cup Cognac or brandy

¼ cup Dry sherry

4 cups Seafood stock

2 tablespoons All-purpose flour

1 cup Heavy cream

1 Bay leaf

3 Fresh thyme sprigs

¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

to taste Kosher salt and black pepper

to taste Snipped chives and lemon wedges, for serving

Steps

Steam the lobsters 8 minutes, until bright red. When cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the claws, knuckles, and tails; chop into bite-size pieces and refrigerate. Reserve all the shells and bodies.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shells and cook, stirring, 5 minutes until fragrant. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook 6 minutes until softened.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in the cognac and sherry, scraping up the browned bits, and cook 2 minutes. Add the stock, bay leaf, and thyme; simmer 30 minutes.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids; discard the shells. You should have about 4 cups of stock.
Melt the remaining butter in the same pot. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the strained stock and simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Blend the base smooth with a stick blender (or in batches in a standing blender). Stir in the cream and cayenne; season boldly with salt and pepper. Warm the lobster meat in the bisque 2 minutes — no longer, or it toughens. Serve with chives and lemon.

Tip: The shells are the whole recipe — don't skip them. If you buy pre-picked lobster meat, ask the fish counter for a couple of bodies; they usually hand them over free.

Classic Lobster Bisque

Ingredients

Steps

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