Description
Indulge in the luxurious, creamy flavors of this restaurant-quality Lobster Bisque, a spot-on copycat of the famous Ruth’s Chris version. This recipe yields a rich, velvety soup bursting with deep lobster essence, perfect for a special occasion or an indulgent weeknight treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs whole live lobsters (2x 0.75 lb lobsters) OR 1 lb frozen lobster tails + 1 lb lobster shells
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium)
- 1/2 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots (about 1 medium)
- 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups fish or seafood broth
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Prep Lobster: If using whole lobsters, steam or boil until cooked (7-10 min). Extract meat, reserving all shells. If using tails, cook per package, reserving shells. Chop meat into bite-sized pieces; set aside.
- 2. Sauté Aromatics & Shells: In a large pot, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; sauté 5-7 min until softened. Add reserved lobster shells; cook 5-10 min, stirring occasionally, to toast shells.
- 3. Deglaze & Add Tomato Paste: Pour in Cognac/brandy; carefully ignite to flambé (optional) or cook off alcohol 2-3 min, scraping up browned bits. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 min, stirring. Add thyme and bay leaf.
- 4. Simmer Stock: Pour in fish broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30-60 minutes to extract maximum flavor.
- 5. Strain Stock: Carefully strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (or cheesecloth-lined colander) into another pot, pressing on solids to extract all liquid. Discard solids.
- 6. Make Roux: In a clean pot, melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 2-3 min, whisking constantly, to make a pale roux. Gradually whisk in the hot lobster stock until smooth and thickened. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 7. Finish Bisque: Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste. Heat gently until warmed through (do not boil). Stir in reserved lobster meat for 2-3 minutes to heat through.
- 8. (Optional) Blend: For ultra-smooth bisque, carefully purée in batches using a blender or immersion blender. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve again if desired.
- 9. Serve: Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh chives or parsley if desired, and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes