What do lobsters and pasta have in common? They are both loved by all foodies alike! Once lobster is on the menu, you can guarantee that it will be a winning dish, no matter what. Combine lobster and perfectly cooked lobster and you have yourself a meal that is almost to die for. This is no ordinary pasta as it is served with lobster meat and a rich and smooth bisque.
What is Lobster Bisque Pasta?
Lobster bisque is essentially a creamy, rich soup that is made by combining lobster broth, cream, some seasoning and herbs and turning it into a flavourful puree. A bisque can also be made using other types of crustaceans and seafood such as crab and crayfish. Sherry is often added to the bisque to enhance its flavour.
A lobster bisque is often accompanied with a side of crispy bread to soak in the broth. In this case, the lobster bisque is used as a sauce for a hearty bowl of al-dente pasta.
The History of Lobster Bisque
The history of lobster bisque can be dated as far back as the 17th century, way before lobster was seen as a delicacy. It is said that the Romans and Greeks were the ones to invent bisque but in modern times, bisque is widely accepted to be a French dish.
The term, “bisque” itself is said to derive from Bay of Biscay, a shore town bordering Spain and France which had an abundance of shellfish. Fun fact; before the 17th century, the term “bisque” in France was used to refer to quail that is pureed into soup.
The dish only made its way to America in the 19th century in New England. At the time, lobsters were seen as food for the poor. The upper-class thought of lobsters as sea cockroaches and despised them as they were too ugly to be served on the dinner table.
The poor didn’t waste a single part of the lobster and did not leave even the shells behind. The bisque itself doesn’t get its taste from the lobster’s meat but rather the shells that were crushed and grilled to be used in the soup.
It was only during the industrialisation era that the Americans began to develop a love for lobster and over time, it became a delicacy and bisque became a dish commonly served at fine dining restaurants. It was then that the recipe evolved. Instead of dumping the crushed shell into the soup, chefs would boil the shells in a separate broth, then remove the shells and mix the broth with cream and hearty vegetables like tomato and celery and pureeing it.
The result is a velvety, smooth broth that fills the tummy, especially during the cold weather.
How to prepare Lobster Bisque Pasta
The preparation of lobster bisque can take up to 2 hours to complete. To prepare the stock, add 2-3 lobsters, clam juice, chicken stock, some cognac or sherry, onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves and pepper corns into a pressure cooker and let it simmer.
Strain the mixture after 30 minutes and add them to a bowl of milk or cream, cooked lobster tail meat and some herbs to be pureed. Once the lobster bisque is done, you can add it to your pasta of choice and garnish with fresh herbs and extra lobster meat for texture.
Where to get Lobster Bisque Pasta in Kuala Lumpur
If you don’t have the time to prepare it yourself, you can find a good Lobster Bisque Pasta at Franco in Nu Sentral or for something more authentic, try the Lobster Bisque with tarragon cream at Gobo Upstairs in Traders Hotel.
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