Bisque

Intermediate 🍳 Food / Culinary

Definition

A cream soup traditionally made from shellfish stock and thickened with roux, cream, and pounded shellfish meat or shells; the soup equivalent of pure decadence in a bowl.

Example Usage

The lobster bisque was enriched with heavy cream and cognac, topped with a quenelle of lobster butter.

Origin

French, possibly from 'Biscaye' (Bay of Biscay where it originated) or 'biscuit' (twice-cooked)

Fun Fact

Traditional bisque is thickened with a liaison of egg yolk and cream, not modern cornstarch, making it significantly richer and better

Source: Classical French soup tradition

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