Seafood bisque with crab, shrimp and lobster

🦞 Seafood bisque with crab, shrimp and lobster

🍽 Servings: 4–6
Total time: ~45 minutes
🍲 Perfect for a special dinner or as a treat for seafood lovers!

🛒 Ingredients:

Seafood:

• 1 lobster tail (or pre-cooked lobster meat, chopped)
• 200 g (7 oz) of peeled and deveined shrimp
• 200 g (7 oz) of lump crab meat

Bisque base:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 finely chopped celery stalk
• 1 small carrot, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon of tomato purée
• 1/4 cup of plain flour
• Optional: 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups of seafood or fish stock (or substitute with chicken broth).
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• ½ tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Optional: pinch of cayenne pepper for heat.
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Freshly chopped parsley or chives for garnishing.

🍳 Instructions:

Prepare the seafood:

• If using raw lobster tail, boil or steam for 5–6 minutes until cooked through. Leave to cool, then chop the meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Set the shrimp and crab meat aside.

Sauté the aromatics:

• In a large pot over a medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil together.
• Add the chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant (about 5–7 minutes).

Build the base:

• Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 2–3 minutes to form a roux.

Deglaze and simmer:

• Slowly pour in the white wine (if using) and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits.
• Add the seafood stock and stir well until smooth.
• Add the paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Simmer on a low heat for 10–15 minutes.
• Blend for a smooth texture (optional).
• To make a silky bisque, either use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend until smooth.
• Add cream and seafood.
• Return the bisque to the pot (if blended). Stir in the heavy cream.
• Add the shrimp, lobster and crab meat.
• Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes until the seafood is fully cooked and tender.

Finish and serve:

• Stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning.
• Ladle into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley or chives, and add a pinch of black pepper.

🍞 Serving suggestions:

• Crusty garlic bread or buttered sourdough toast.
• Serve with a squeeze of lemon and chilled white wine.

ENJOY