Recipe courtesy of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger

Lobster Bisque

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • Total: 1 hr 15 min
  • Prep: 15 min
  • Cook: 1 hr
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Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 shallots, thinly sliced

12 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup brandy

1 cup Madeira

6 cups lobster stock

Beurre Manie:

1 tablespoon softened, unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Dash of hot pepper sauce

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Saute shallots until golden, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook over high heat until slightly browned, about 2 additional minutes.
  2. Remove from heat and add brandy and Madeira reserving 1/4 cup of each for final seasoning. Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced by half. Add lobster stock and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the strength of your stock. (Weaker stocks need to cook longer to concentrate their flavors.) Occasionally skim and discard foam that rises to the top.
  3. Make beurre manie by mixing butter and flour with your fingers to form a smooth paste. Press onto ends of a whisk.
  4. When broth has a strong, almost salty, lobster flavor, add cream and bring it back to a boil, skimming foam occasionally. Then whisk in beurre manie until dissolved. Cook an additional 5 minutes over high heat, whisking occasionally.
  5. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing with the back of a ladle to extract all juices. Season with lemon juice, reserved brandy and Madeira, and hot pepper sauce, and serve immediately.

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Ken S.

I made this for a dinner party on Cape Cod where we know a lot about lobsters and bisques and chowders. Started by making Milliken & Feniger's lobster stock recipe (on Food Network and then used it in this recipe. Nothing about the recipes are difficult but it does take a good deal of time. The results are worthy it - absolutely fantastic. Everyone raved - totally restaurant quality and not overly creamy. I was worried about using so much Brandy and Madeira but definitely go for it - really enriches the soup. Worthy of a special occasion and a great way to used lobsters bodies after a lobster dinner (just throw them in the freezer and take them out when you want to make the stock - they freeze perfectly for this.

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