What color should the Lobster Bisque be?

[ronmaca]

I have lived in Maine for 37 yrs/ eaten at White Barn Inn several times and have never seen a brown lobster bisque. That said, the stock and how the shells are treated would make a difference....and adding the tomali might give a ton of flavor but change the color. Go by taste...if it is yukky....don't eat it. If I was served a brown bowl of bisque I would wonder as well.

[POA1]

I have lived in Maine for 37 yrs/ eaten at White Barn Inn several times and have never seen a brown lobster bisque. That said, the stock and how the shells are treated would make a difference....and adding the tomali might give a ton of flavor but change the color. Go by taste...if it is yukky....don't eat it. If I was served a brown bowl of bisque I would wonder as well.

We lived in Kennebunk for years and ate at the White Barn well over 100 times. (Not making it up. Just a fact.) The bisque is dark. Other restaurants in the area have it in color ranging from light orange red to darker shades.

 

White Barn Lobster bisque with crispy crab wonton.

 

[Sue from Canada]

HAL chefs rarely - if ever - utilize lobster shells to make their bisque.

Instead, they use a freeze-dried lobster extract powder.

It's cheaper and faster.

This may account for the color.

 

I was wondering about what you wrote. Or they could be using a dry powder mix:eek:

[ellieanne]

I've assumed there is some sort of dark roux involved in the preparation of some of these lobster bisques, which would account for a darker color.

 

Personally, I'm partial to my mom's recipe, which is pretty pink and plenty creamy. I quit ordering ship lobster bisques a long time ago, They always seem to have too much flour thickener and too little lobster involved.

 

This would be my guess. A dark base may come from a dark roux. I know in South Louisiana, some versions of crawfish bisque are darker than others, and it's down to the roux. I wouldn't guess that Lobster Bisque is all that different in terms of preparation or variation.

 

There is a great deal of variation in the colors of natural products so as long as the dish smells and tastes good, I'm will to give it a try. And may just have been a different vacation than the passengers were used to.

[POA1]

I was wondering about what you wrote. Or they could be using a dry powder mix:eek:

Look at the picture in the post above yours. It's from a restaurant in Maine that's right along the coast. In a town that still has an active lobster fleet. Notice the color?

 

Next time you are at the grocery store, look for lobster base. (Better Than Bouillon is easiest to find. Usually in the soup aisle.) It's brown - the lobster base, not the soup aisle. ;)

 

This is what lobster base looks like. You can make a lighter colored soup, but you have to water it down - or milk it down, I guess.

 

Edited September 5, 2017 by POA1

[MaxThrusters]

Well now I have to try again it at the Pinnacle Grill this November. I'll report back after!

[blueboro]

Six of us ate at Pinnacle on our recent Westerdam cruise...5 ordered the bisque...and all of us sent it back. It was very dark brown and almost tasted burnt. It reminded me of a very strong gumbo roux...nothing like many previous versions of Lobster bisque. The waiter told the chef. He came to our table and almost seemed offended that we sent it back. I assume this is just their recipe.

[navybankerteacher]

Lobster bisque is a real variable - I doubt anyone who first came to know it along the New England coast would be impressed by what is served on HAL.

 

I'm sure some folks like HAL's version but it really should not go by the same name -- sort of like the extreme varieties of clam chowder.

[swedish weave]

Ah, the White Barn Inn. My favorite ex-FD Manager worked there. She's now in DC at The Jefferson (the top hotel in the US). And it's now just Forbes - no more Mobil...

 

And the Forbes family has sold 95 percent of their company to a Chinese investment group.

[KirkNC]

Six of us ate at Pinnacle on our recent Westerdam cruise...5 ordered the bisque...and all of us sent it back. It was very dark brown and almost tasted burnt. It reminded me of a very strong gumbo roux...nothing like many previous versions of Lobster bisque. The waiter told the chef. He came to our table and almost seemed offended that we sent it back. I assume this is just their recipe.

 

I think it is just their recipe, it's been this way for years in Pinnacle. For some reason our daughter likes it but I have always thought it had a burnt flavor as well.

[ChinaShrek]

Six of us ate at Pinnacle on our recent Westerdam cruise...5 ordered the bisque...and all of us sent it back. It was very dark brown and almost tasted burnt. It reminded me of a very strong gumbo roux...nothing like many previous versions of Lobster bisque. The waiter told the chef. He came to our table and almost seemed offended that we sent it back. I assume this is just their recipe.

 

Yes, this was the stuff I received. I didn't really like it as well as red or tan colored bisque. They need to use cream and lots of it but I digress.

[ChinaShrek]

I think it is just their recipe, it's been this way for years in Pinnacle. For some reason our daughter likes it but I have always thought it had a burnt flavor as well.

 

But if we send them a proper recipe, will that do any good? It seems that with such variety to bisque anything is acceptable.

[POA1]

I think it is just their recipe, it's been this way for years in Pinnacle. For some reason our daughter likes it but I have always thought it had a burnt flavor as well.

It's not my favorite, either. (Neither is the one at the White Barn. I just mentioned them to illustrate that there is a fair bit of color variation.) My favorite was Chef John Hughes' from Windows on the Water in Kennebunk. Sadly, they closed about 10 years ago. Used to buy a quart to go. Little bucket of happiness.

 

It was this color, which is what I bet most people think of.

 

 

This is the more cream version. I really haven't met a lobster bisque that I didn't like. I'm all about diversity.

 

We're escaping Hurricane Irma by heading up to Maine. Lobster white pizza with truffle oil drizzle, lobster lo Maine, lobster pot pies, lobster rolls, and roasted lobster are on the to-eat list - and that's just in the first 24 hours. (There will also be diver harvested scallops.)

Yes, this was the stuff I received. I didn't really like it as well as red or tan colored bisque. They need to use cream and lots of it but I digress.

[OCruisers]

Like some others ... It's about the taste, not the color. :)

[slidergirl]

And the Forbes family has sold 95 percent of their company to a Chinese investment group.

 

And, it is still called Forbes. I just had my 5 Star refresher training last weekly from Forbes...

[S1drfl]

And I'd like to add the observation that, if you're adding enough sherry or cognac to change the color of your bisque, it's time to cut to the chase, stop cooking, and fetch a glass.:cool:

[POA1]

And I'd like to add the observation that, if you're adding enough sherry or cognac to change the color of your bisque, it's time to cut to the chase, stop cooking, and fetch a glass.:cool:

Lobster stock base starts out brown. That color you associate with lobster bisque is from cream and tomato paste for the most part.

 

http://www.food.com/amp/recipe/lobster-bisque-179384.

 

As far as the cognac or sherry is concerned, you are 100% correct. Some for the pot, some for the cook.

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Paula Deen recipe that people rave about. It's the color of New England clam chowder.

 

http://www.pauladeen.com/creole-shrimp-and-lobster-bisque

[bobandjo]

Can't remember what the colour was but it tasted pretty danged fine on the NA a week ago.