Bisque de Homard
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: ~1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Country of Origin
France
Description
Bisque de Homard is the height of French seafood luxury—a velvety, smooth, and highly seasoned cream soup. Rather than using flour, the authentic method thickens the soup naturally with rice simmered directly in the broth. The flavor base is built by roasting lobster shells to release their deep, sweet oils, deglazing with Cognac, and enriching the strained coulis with heavy cream.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
Served hot in a shallow rimmed bowl. It is elegant when garnished with a few pieces of poached lobster meat in the center, a delicate drizzle of heavy cream, and a pinch of cayenne or fresh chives. Eat with a spoon alongside toasted crostini.
Ingredients
Shells from 2 cooked lobsters (plus 300g chopped lobster meat, reserved for garnish)
50g (3.5 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp tomato paste
60 ml (1/4 cup) Cognac or brandy
120 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine
1 liter (4 cups) fish stock or water
50g (1/4 cup) white rice (such as Arborio or long-grain)
1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf)
150 ml (2/3 cup) heavy cream
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and white pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Directions
Roast the Shells (The Secret): In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the lobster shells and crush them with a heavy wooden spoon. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes until the shells turn bright red and highly aromatic.
Sauté the Aromatics: Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to caramelize it.
Flambé with Cognac: Pour the Cognac into the pot. Carefully ignite it with a long match or tilt the pan slightly to catch the flame if using gas. Let the flames die down, then pour in the white wine and simmer for 3 minutes to reduce.
Simmer the Broth and Rice: Add the fish stock (or water), white rice, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. The rice will cook completely and release starch to act as the natural thickener.
Strain and Purée: Remove and discard the large lobster shells and the bouquet garni. Pour the soup (including the soft vegetables and rice) into a high-powered blender and blend on high speed until completely smooth.
Pass Through a Sieve: For a silky restaurant finish, pass the puréed soup through a fine-mesh sieve (chinois) back into a clean pot, pressing hard on the solids to extract all liquid.
Finish with Cream: Place the pot over low heat. Stir in the heavy cream and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Simmer gently for 5 minutes (do not boil). Season with salt and white pepper.
Garnish and Serve: Warm the reserved lobster meat in a little melted butter. Divide the soup into bowls, top with the warm lobster meat, and serve.
Optional
Tarragon Oil: Drizzle a few drops of homemade tarragon-infused oil over the surface of the bisque before serving.
Sherry Finish: Add a splash of dry Amontillado sherry in the final minute of cooking to brighten the sweet shellfish flavors.
Cooking Tips
Crush the Shells: Really break down the lobster shells in the pot. Cracking them open exposes the interior, releasing the maximum amount of flavor and sweet gelatins into the stock.
The Rice Thickener: Traditional bisques use rice rather than a flour roux. The starches in rice give the bisque a glossy, silky texture that coats the spoon beautifully without masking the delicate lobster flavors.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving)
Calories: ~280 kcal
Total Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 85mg
Sodium: ~490mg
Total Carbohydrates: 14g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Sugars: ~3g
Protein: 15g
Comments