Basic Bisque Soups Recipe

Basic Bisque Soup Recipe

Ingredients for 1 gal/ 3.84 L

• 2 lb / 907 g of one or more flavoring ingredients, such as crustaceans shells (shrimps, crab, lobster, crayfish or a combination)
• 1 gal 32 fl oz / 4.80 L of cooking liquid – Shellfish or fish stock, fumet, broth or shellfish Velouté
• A thickening agent, if not using a prepared Velouté such as blond Roux, flour, or rice.
• Seasoning and flavoring such as salt, pepper, spice sachet, and or bouquet garni.
• 1 lb / 454 g of mirepoix
• Tomato paste or purée
• Finishing and garnishing ingredients, such as 16 fl oz / 480 ml heavy cream, diced, or other cuts of the main flavoring ingredient.
• Mince or Chiffonade of herbs.
• Sherry or brandy

Method:

The shells must be well rinsed and the bigger shells of crab or lobster can be chopped. They should be drained and dried well. The color and flavor of traditional Bisques are derived from crab, lobster, shrimps, or crayfish. Sometimes, fishmongers who sell live lobsters, also have frozen lobster heads that they sell for a lower price. A combination or one type of crustacean can be used. The crushed shells should be browned in cooking fat and stirred frequently until they become red or bright pink.

The mirepoix should be added to the pan and cooked till the vegetables are tender for 10 to 15 minutes. The brandy can be added and then ignited. As soon as the flames go out, the tomato paste should be added and cooked till it acquires a deep rust color and a sweet aroma. Other aromatics and spices like paprika can be added to the shells and cooked in the fat.

According to some of the recipes, flour can be added as part of the soup making process in order to make a Roux. The Roux can be added and stirred constantly after checking to see if more butter or oil is needed for 4 to 5 minutes. A Roux that is prepared can also be added to the shells and softened for a sufficient period.

Wine can be added and moistened with cooking liquid from the fish stock or shellfish, broth, fumet or shellfish velouté and then simmered for 30 minutes. Bouquet garni, herbs or spice sachet can be added.

The soup should be tasted and any adjustment or modification can be made to the consistency or seasoning during the cooking process. In order to maintain a perfect balance between solids and liquids more liquid can be added as the soup goes through the cooking procedure. The heat should be monitored and the soup should be stirred often. With starchy ingredients like other soups, Bisques can scorch easily even in a short time if not stirred constantly. 

With a cooking time of 1 hour, all the ingredients except the shells should be tender to a point that will facilitate easy pureeing. The soup should be skimmed through the cooking process.

Before pureeing the soup, the bouquet garni or spice sachet should be removed and discarded. The soup can be passed through a food mill or an immersion blender can be used to derive the most flavor into the soup and the residue can be discarded as the shells will not pass through the strainer.

The Bisque should be returned to simmer for a short while and necessary adjustments can be made with the consistency or seasoning before it is strained. The soup should be strained through a fine-mesh strainer.

With the Bisque ready to be finished now, it can be quickly cooled and refrigerated for later use.

The Bisque can be finished and garnished with the necessary ingredients. The Bisque can be brought to medium heat and then simmered. The soup can be tasted and adjusted with seasoning. Take the cream in a separate pan and bring it to a simmer and add it gently to the Bisque. The cream that is added should be of sufficient amount and must not overpower the flavor of the main ingredient but should enrich and enhance a smooth texture and taste.

The quality of the finished Bisque must be evaluated. The flavor of the main ingredient should reflect in a bisque that is good. When the cream is added, it should not overpower the flavor of the main ingredient. Bisques are known to be grainy and coarse with a consistency that is similar to heavy cream. A vegetable bisque is paler in shade than the main ingredient, a crustacean Bisque would be red or pale pink and a shellfish Bisque would be ivory in color.