The Best Lobster Bisque (Ruth's Chris Copycat Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What liquor is used in lobster bisque? ›

The lobster bisque, a classic lobster dish from New England, traditionally uses both white wine and brandy in its preparation. Brandy is made from grapes, so you can consider it like an extremely pepped up version of wine.

Lobster bisque is a type of soup of French origin that's smooth and creamy, extracting its lobster flavor by pureeing and straining the ingredients into a rich and flavorful soup. Lobster soup, such as Lobster & Corn Chowder, is typically chunky with pieces of vegetables like potatoes and corn.

I recommend using a dry sherry, but medium sherry or cream sherry can also be used. Cream sherry is not creamy, but is sweeter than dry sherry and is a nice compliment to the sweetness of lobster. Heavy Cream - Heavy cream helps make this bisque ultra creamy and luscious.

The main ingredient of a bisque is usually a shellfish like lobster, crab, shrimp, or crayfish, but occasionally other ingredients such as tomato, pumpkin or chicken are used.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Cream – You will need some heavy whipping cream at the end to monte the lobster stock. Wine – This is optional, but I use port wine and dry vermouth. Liquor – I deglaze and finish the bisque with Brandy. Another option would be dry or cream sherry.

Put all the lobster shells in a big pot and fill with coldwater so it covers the shells add the parsley stalks , peppercorns and 1 of the tomatoes chopped in half. Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for 20 – 30 mins. If you cook it for too long the stock can become bitter.

Most modern bisques are thickened using rice. Some cook the rice in the broth and strain it out later, using only the left-behind rice starch to thicken the soup. Others puree the rice into the soup to thicken it. Almost all bisques are finished with hot cream for a velvety texture.

In American recipes, using a combination of lobster shells, bodies, claw meat, and tail meat provides the bisque its telltale taste and feel. Depending on the recipe, you will remove the lobster from the body, dice it, and add the chopped lobster meat to the broth and develop flavors that way.

Lobster Bisque: (222g) calories 310, calories from fat 210, total fat 24g, saturated fat 15g, trans fat 1g, cholesterol 115mg, sodium 680mg, total carbohydrate 13g, dietary fiber 1g, sugars 1g, protein 12g, vitamin a 20%, vitamin c 8%, calcium 10%, iron 4%.

Bisque is traditionally thickened at the end of cooking with both cream and cooked rice. The latter, when blended in, adds a smooth, starchy thickness without introducing much flavor of its own. I've tried it, and it works well, but, once again, it requires an extra step—making rice on top of everything else.

Does brandy go in lobster bisque? ›

Add brandy, sherry, and strained lobster stock; season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth.

Your best bet is going to be another dry fortified wine such as dry (white) vermouth. Dry versions of Madeira and marsala are also acceptable. You can also substitute a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, pinot blanc, or sémillon. Dry sparkling wines will also work when used in small amounts.

A bisque is a creamy, thick soup that includes shellfish. Bisque is a method of extracting flavour from imperfect crabs, lobsters and shrimp that are traditionally not good enough to send to market. In an authentic bisque, the shells are ground to a fine paste and added to thicken the soup.

The addition of alcohol is a classic flavoring method but can provide more than just flavor. White wine, brandy or sherry can be used and are all excellent liquids for deglazing. This ensures every bit of flavor is cooked into the soup as opposed to being stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Other thickening techniques, such as using rice or a roux – a concoction of flour and butter — are far more common in today's cooking and are the preferred way of thickening most bisques. However, should you find yourself someday overburdened with crustaceans and extra time, perhaps give the traditional method a go.

Acidity is key in pairing wine with lobster. Think about how great a squeeze of lemon is on fish – a light, crisp wine with great acidity can do the same thing. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio can be great in this regard, but so can Riesling and Chardonnay.

Lobster Bisque Ingredients

Vegetables: You'll need fresh mushrooms, an onion, celery, and a carrot. Broth: Use store-bought or homemade chicken broth. Seasonings: Season the lobster bisque with salt and cayenne pepper. Half-and-half: Half-and-half is the key to the rich, velvety texture.

WHAT ALCOHOL IS IN LOBSTER BISQUE? The pot gets deglazed with a dry white wine. Use a good quality Pinot Grigio, Sauv Blanc or Chardonnay, one that you would drink!