Bisques

A bisque (bisk) is a cream soup made with shellfish. At one time, bisques were thickened with rice, but today they are more frequently thickened with roux. Bisques are made basically like other cream soups, but they seem more complex because of the handling of the shellfish and the variety of flavoring ingredients often used. Expensive to prepare and rich in taste, they are considered luxury soups.

Because of the cost of shellfish bisques, it is especially important to check the quality of stocks and all other ingredients before proceeding. In particular, if stock has been in storage, bring it to a simmer and check for off odors or flavors. This helps to avoid spoiling a quantity of expensive seafood because a poor-quality ingredient ruins the entire batch.