Seafood Bisque with Crab, Shrimp, and Lobster

Here’s a rich, classic Seafood Bisque made with crab, shrimp, and lobster—luxurious but still doable at home. This version keeps flavors deep without being overly complicated.

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Seafood Bisque (Crab, Shrimp & Lobster)

Ingredients

Seafood

• 1 lobster tail (or 2 small), shell-on

• ½ lb shrimp, shells on

• ½ lb crab meat (lump or claw)

Aromatics & base

• 3 tbsp butter

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped

• 1 small carrot, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Liquids

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 3 cups seafood stock (or chicken stock)

• 1 cup heavy cream

Seasoning

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)

• ¼ tsp cayenne (optional)

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Finishing

• 1–2 tbsp flour (optional, for thickening)

• Fresh parsley or chives (garnish)

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Instructions

1. Prepare the seafood

   • Remove lobster meat from shell; chop into bite-size pieces.

   • Peel shrimp, reserving shells.

   • Keep all shells.

2. Build flavor

   • Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.

   • Add onion, celery, and carrot; cook until soft.

   • Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 1–2 minutes.

3. Make the shell stock

   • Add shrimp and lobster shells to the pot.

   • Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring, until shells turn pink.

   • Deglaze with white wine; simmer 5 minutes.

4. Simmer

   • Add seafood stock and bay leaf.

   • Simmer gently 20–25 minutes.

5. Strain & blend

   • Remove shells and bay leaf.

   • Blend soup until smooth (carefully).

   • Return to pot.

6. Thicken (optional)

   • Whisk flour with a little cream, stir into soup.

   • Simmer gently until slightly thickened.

7. Finish with seafood

   • Add lobster and shrimp meat; simmer 3–4 minutes.

   • Add crab meat last, gently stirring.

   • Pour in cream, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

   • Heat gently—do not boil.

8. Serve

   • Garnish with parsley or chives.

   • Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers.

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Tips

• For extra smooth bisque, strain after blending.

• For deeper flavor, add a splash of brandy after the wine (optional).

• Keep heat low once cream is added to avoid curdling.

If you want, I can:

• Simplify it for a weeknight version

• Adjust it for no shellfish shells

• Make it extra thick or lighter