Bisque

A bisque is a smooth, creamy soup made from shellfish such as lobster, crab, shrimp or crayfish. The flavor comes from the shells, which are roasted or fried and then simmered. Classic bisque is thickened with rice or a roux, finished with cream, and often flavored with brandy or wine.

How to do it

1. Fry the shells in butter or oil over medium-high heat until they turn bright red and smell toasty, about 5 minutes.
2. Add mirepoix and a spoon of tomato paste. Cook until the paste darkens.
3. Pour in a splash of brandy or white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits.
4. Add fish or shellfish stock or water, plus a small handful of raw rice if you use it. Simmer gently for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Blend everything, shells included if your blender is strong, then strain through a fine sieve. Press hard to get all the liquid out.
6. Stir in cream, bring it back to a bare simmer, and add the cooked shellfish meat at the end.

How to tell it is done

The soup is smooth, coral or orange in color, and thick enough to coat a spoon. It should taste strongly of shellfish, not just of cream.

Common mistakes

• Throwing away the shells. They hold most of the flavor.
• Boiling it hard after the cream goes in. It can split and turn grainy.
• Adding the meat too early. Lobster and shrimp turn tough when they cook for long.
• Skipping the strain. Small bits of shell ruin the texture.

In recipes

Most recipes use "bisque" for shellfish soup, but many also use it for any smooth, creamy puréed soup, such as tomato bisque or squash bisque. Those have no shellfish. Check the ingredient list if you have a shellfish allergy. A chowder is the chunky cousin: it keeps its pieces whole instead of blending them.