How to Make Lobster Bisque

I learned How to Make Lobster Bisque the way I figure out how to make most of our recipes – I ate some that I liked and just decided to make some!

A Bisque is a smooth and creamy French soup made with a caramel colored roux, whipping cream, a seasoning mix of onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and carrots and your favorite seafood.

Looking through a local city magazine with its many restaurant reviews causes my mouth to water and inspiration to ensue.  So, recently I saw a beautiful photograph of a lobster bisque.  My only experience with lobster bisque has been in the fine dining restaurants of Baton Rouge and Panama City Beach.

So how hard can it be?  

As I often say, “It all starts with a roux”.  We felt extravagant and proposed to try a making a bisque with fresh lobster tails from Whole Foods here in Baton Rouge.  After steaming the lobster tails, we ended up with what looked like giant sized crawfish tails.  It was hard to chop up the tails and not just to dip the tail in some cocktail sauce and pop in my mouth.

How to Make Lobster Bisque: Ingredients

2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons All-Purpose flour
1-2 cups vegetable stock or the water used to steam the lobster tails
2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-4 lobster tails

How to Make Lobster Bisque: Seasonings

1/4 teaspoon each – celery salt, white pepper, Cajun seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning), and salt

How to Make Lobster Bisque: How to Prepare

In a steamer pot or pot with small amount of water, bring water to a boil.

Place the thawed lobster tails in the steamer.

Cover and lower the heat to medium-high heat (#6 or 7).

Allow to steam 10 minutes.

Wash and dice all the vegetables.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons Canola oil on # 5 medium heat.

Add the bell pepper, celery, carrots, and sweet onion.

Sauté 3-5 minutes.

Add the 1 teaspoon minced garlic.

Cook for one minute more.

Remove the vegetables and set aside.

Add the 3 tablespoons butter  to the saucepan.  Allow to melt.

Sprinkle in the 3 tablespoons All-Purpose flour and stir until well blended.

With a flat edged wooden spoon, keep stirring slowly moving the butter and flour constantly in order to prevent scorching.

The roux should be the color of light caramel candy.

Turn off the heat and move the pan off the burner.

Carefully add in the sauteed vegetables and stir well.

Slowly pour in the 1 cup vegetable stock and mix well.

Return the burner and medium heat #5.

Allow to heat up and may have slow boil.

Turn the heat down to about #3 on the burner.

Add in the seasonings.  Stir well.

Allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes.

If needed, add small amounts of broth or water in order to ensure that mixture is not too thick.  

Slowly add in the 2 cups heavy whipping cream.  Stir well and often.

Turn down the heat to low and allow to simmer an additional 15 minutes.

Stir in the chopped lobster.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of finely chopped green onions or fresh parsley for garnish.

Thinly sliced French baguette croutons is also a nice treat for dipping in the creamy bisque.

Note:  Feel free to add other ingredients such as shaved corn off the cob.  Similar recipes call for the vegetables to be run through a food processor for a smooth texture soup.

Serves: About 4 cups
Prep Time:    20 minutes
Cook Time:    60 minutes

Beryl

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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Please Follow Us On Facebook:
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The Cajun Cooking TV show aired on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117.

You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810

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How to Make Crawfish Bisque

Crawfish Bisque Recipe from the Cajun recipes at Cajun Cooking TV.  Essentials in Cajun cooking are the use of fresh crawfish tails when in season and we only use fresh Louisiana crawfish tails.  A bisque is a rich, creamy soup usually made with shellfish; especially lobster.  We just used a much smaller kind of lobster – the Louisiana crawfish.

Crawfish Bisque (some folks call it crawfish stew) consists of a rich sauce accompanied with stuffed crawfish bodies or crawfish balls.  For this recipe we made both.  This was so good we could not stop eating it.

Crawfish Bisque Ingredients: For the Crawfish Balls

1 (1-pound) bag of fresh crawfish tails (can substitute shrimp or crab if needed)

1 cup chopped onionss

1 cup chopped green peppers
1/4 parsley flakes
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
Cajun seasoning (like Tony’s Creole Seasoning)

Crawfish Bisque Cooking Directions: For the Crawfish Balls

Blend all the above ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Remove to a mixing bowl.

Form into small meatballs.

If you have access to crawfish bodies, just stuff the bodies with the mixture.

Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes on a baking sheet.

Crawfish Bisque Ingredients: For the Crawfish Bisque

4 cups Cajun Trinity (or frozen seasoning blend – onions, bell pepper, celery)
2 sticks butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups Chicken Stock
1 (10-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Cajun seasoning (like Tony’s Creole Seasoning) to taste
1 (1-pound) bag of fresh crawfish tails (substitute shrimp or crab if needed)
1 cup rice

Crawfish Bisque Cooking Directions: For the Crawfish Bisque

Saute’ Cajun Trinity in 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large 6 quart pot.

Make a Roux in a flat bottom stainless steel skillet or cast iron skillet.

Melt the butter and gradually add in flour and continue to stir with a flat edged spatula until dark brown color.

Transfer roux to the Cajun Trinity pot.  Stir well.

Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, minced garlic, crawfish tails and seasoning to taste.

Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low (#3).

Stir occasionally and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.

Make 1 cup rice according to package directions.

Add the stuffed crawfish and/or crawfish balls.

Simmer another 5-10 minutes.

Crawfish Bisque Serving Suggestions

Serve crawfish bisque over rice and garnish with chopped green onions and chopped parsley.

Bon Appetite!