Delicious Bisque Recipes

Traditionally the word bisque means a shellfish soup, thickened and/or flavoured by the shell. These soups are rich and hearty, and are perfect meals for the cold winter months.

Making a bisque does require quite a lot of effort, but it is worth it. Though there are some very good ready made bisques available (see the bottom of the hub for examples), none will come close to the flavours you will get if you make your own. It is time consuming, but worthwhile when you taste just how good a homemade bisque is.These recipes can also be frozen, so if you make a larger batch than necessary, you can either freeze what isn't used in a container or in individual portions for a later date. 

The best accompaniments for bisques are fresh crusty bread and rolls, or thick white toast.

Serves 6-8

1 cooked lobster

110g butter

1 large carrot diced

1 medium onion chopped

bouquet garni (made from fresh parsley, thyme and a bayleaf)

50-110g long grain rice

150ml dry white wine

1.75 litres fish stock

salt and pepper to taste

generous pinch of cayenne pepper

110g double cream

1 small glass brandy 

• Remove the lobster meat from the shell and put aside
• Place the lobster shell into a bag and break into pieces using a lobster mallet
• Heat half of the butter on a medium heat
• Stir in the onion and carrot and cook until soft
• Add the bouquet garni, rice, lobster shell, wine and stock
• Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes
• Remove all the large pieces of shell and bouquet garni from the pan
• Place the remaining butter, lobster meat (keeping a little aside to garnish) and contents of the pan to a liquidiser
• Once smooth, strain the liquid into a clean pan
• Re-heat the bisque and add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
• Slice the lobster meat that was put aside
• Stir in the cream, brandy and sliced lobster meat
• Serve very hot

Serves 6

1 or 2 lobster shells

1.1 litres water

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of basil

25g butter

25g flour

150ml single cream

• Put the lobster shells into a bag and break into pieces with a lobster mallet
• Put the cold water, salt, pepper and basil into a pan
• Bring to the boil then simmer for 2 hours
• Sieve the stock so that no shell remains
• Melt the butter in a clean pan and stir in the flour until it becomes frothy
• Add the lobster stock slowly, stirring as you add
• Cook on a medium to high heat for 10 minutes
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cream

Serves 4

100g onion diced

100g leek diced

100g celery diced

100g carrot diced

50g butter

450-700g crab

bouquet garni (bayleaf, thyme, parsley, peppercorns)

50g tomato puree

4 tablespoons cognac

4 tablespoons dry white wine

1.14 litres fish stock

50g rice

salt and pepper to taste

50g double cream

• Heat the butter in a pan  
• Add the vegetables and and crab and cook until the vegetables are tender
• Add the bouquet garni, tomato puree, cognac, wine and stock
• Stir together
• Add the rice and simmer for 45 minutes
• Strain the liquid and disgard the main pieces of hard crab shell
• Work the rest of the shell into a paste and pass it through a sieve to remove excess pieces 
• Place the liquid, paste and contents of the original pan together and bring to the boil
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Take from the heat and stir in the cream 

Serves 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

40g onion diced

40g carrot diced

40g celery diced

40g fennel diced

1 large clove garlic sliced

50g red bell pepper diced

1 bayleaf

75g tomato diced

350g uncooked prawns

50ml water

1.1 litre fish stock

110g soft white breadcrumbs

pinch of salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

• Heat the butter and cook the vegetables, garlic, red pepper and bayleaf for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, until lightly browned
• Add the tomatos and reduce the heat to low
• In a seperate pan, heat the rest of the butter and add the prawns unpeeled
• Cook on a high heat for 4-5 minutes (or until the shells are browned), turning the prawns often
• Put the cooked prawns into a liquidiser
• Deglaze the prawn pan with the water, then add to the vegetable pan
• Liquidise the prawns until they form a coarse paste
• Add the paste to the vegetable pan
• Add the fish stock and simmer for 10 minutes
• Liquidise the bisque, then sieve
• Pass as much of the prawns and vegetables through the sieve as you can, this will reflect on the flavour of the bisque
• Return the bisque to a low heat and stir in the breadcrumbs
• Cook for 10 minutes
• Liquidise again
• Season and re-heat

Serves 6

350g uncooked peeled prawns

310g potatoes

200g tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 litre milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley to garnish 

• Peel and dice the potatoes
• Peel the tomatoes (for an easy step by step guide see my 5 minute salsa recipe) and chop them into pieces
• Peel and crush the garlic
• Put everything into a pan and simmer uncovered for an hour
• Liquidise until smooth and then pass through a fine sieve
• Re-heat
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Sprinkle with parsley 

Serves 4-6

36 clams (washed and shells scrubbed)

1 onion sliced

1 carrot peeled and diced

1 bayleaf

2 sprigs parsley

1.1 litres fish stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter

150ml double cream

150 ml madeira wine

Chives to garnish 

• Place the clams, onion, carrot, bayleaf, parsley and stock into a pan
• Half cover the pan and simmer for 1 hour
• Strain the liquid and return to a clean pan
• Season with the salt and pepper and simmer
• Mix the flour and butter together and whisk gradually into the soup
• Stir in the cream
• Re-add the strained vegetables and clams
• Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes
• Add the madeira
• Bring back to a simmer, then serve with chopped chives as a garnish