With its creamy depth of seafood flavor accented by white wine and the rich flavor of artichoke hearts, my Seafood Bisque is a rich and decadent Louisiana dish that is as historical as it is delicious.
A Creole classic: Seafood Bisque. (All photos credit: George Graham)
This Seafood Bisque is what I like to call “Haute Creole.” It’s a classic, time-honored, New Orleans specialty served in the finest white-tablecloth eateries in the city. I obsess over this dish and order it most anytime I see it.
I suspect the New Orleans Creole cooks of the 1800s were influenced by the European taste for cream, butter, and wine (ingredients seldom seen in Creole culture of the time), and the inclusion of artichoke came from the Sicilian migration of the period. All along the Louisiana coast, a bountiful supply of fresh Gulf shrimp and blue crab was readily available, and the dish was embraced widely by the aristocratic society of the region.
Meanwhile, over in Acadiana, the farm-to-table diet of Cajun families was more attuned to meats (mostly pork and wild game) and the coastal seafood catch, which was cooked simply and without the flair and flavors of the city. Artichokes were non-existent at the time, and it would be years later that Italians began to influence the Southwest Louisiana region. Even to this day, you rarely see this cream-based Seafood Bisque on Acadiana kitchen tables, and only occasionally in restaurants.
For me, this beloved dish is a special treat, and with this simple recipe, you can easily bring my Seafood Bisque to your table, too.
- ½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 (14.50-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered and packed in water, drained
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon diced green onion tops
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 lemon slices
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- Kosher salt
- Dash of hot sauce
- 1 pound medium (41/50 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound lump crabmeat
- In a heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the butter and onion, and cook until the onions turn translucent about 5 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts, garlic, green onions, and parsley. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with a straight-edge spatula to prevent burning. Add the wine to deglaze and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine reduces to just a tablespoon or two, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir it into the mixture. Cook to the blond roux stage or just until the raw taste of the flour is gone, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and cream, and stir the mixture to combine. Let the mixture come to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to simmer.
- Add the lemon slices, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and a dash or two of hot sauce. Let the mixture thicken—about 10 minutes—and add kosher salt to taste.
- This base can now be held until you are ready to serve; it can also be made the day before and refrigerated.
- For serving, bring the mixture back to a simmer, and add the shrimp and crabmeat. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve piping hot in bowls with more hot sauce on the table.
An elegant starter or a complete entree, this Seafood Bisque is a hearty dish.
YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE: If you like this Cajun cooking story and Cajun recipe then accept my personal invitation to subscribe by entering your email at the bottom or top right of this page. It’s quick and painless. You will receive an email alert and be the first to see when new Cajun cooking stories and Cajun recipes are added. Thanks, George.
Sounds good. I live on the Gulf Coast and prepare seafood dishes often.
I have prepared an oyster and artichoke stew but this may be an option as shrimp are available year round.
You found it necessary to include a statement about what is NOT part of black culture at the time.
What did that have to do with the recipe? It left me confused.
Hey Madelyn- Perhaps more explanation is needed: I try to reference culinary history where applicable to give perspective to the origination (or differences) to the diversity of Louisiana’s food culture. My point was that the use of rich ingredients like butter, cream and wine are not traditionally Creole in origin, but rather were influenced by the European settlers of New Orleans. That melting pot of influences is why our cuisine is so unique. I hope that clarifies my point.
This looks excellent! I cannot wait to try it, and I very much enjoy your blog & postings.
Bill- Thanks so much for the kind words. All the best.
He makes no mention of “black culture”. You are jumping to conclusions.
Really enjoy your blog. Will be making the seafood bisque for Easter . Please keep the recipes coming. I’m also an avid deer Hunter, if you have any recipes you can share, I would certainly love to see them. Thanks very much for all of your efforts.
Phillip – Be sure to check out my story and recipe for Venison Bourguignon. I know you’ll love it. All the best.
Boiled first or uncooked shrimp? Can’t always find medium shrimp. Have to settle for larger most times.
Doug – Use raw (uncooked) shrimp. All the best and thanks for the comment.
Very easy to make and a flavorful dish. I ended up using more claw crabmeat than shrimp and regret it a bit as it overpowered the sauce. But, it’s still divine.
Lina- Too much crabmeat? What a delightful problem to have. All the best.
I happen’stanced on this wonderful page, and just finished listening to your interview podcast. You are to be congratulated on a most wonderful effort. As a Yankee, and worse still, a former New Yorker, I am so impressed. And don’t worry as I tell my friends down here, don’t mess with me, we won the war! Do you have any idea of some of the comments I have to endure? Life in New Orleans is good, but I believe life in L. would be so much more exciting, lovely people/lovely food. I look forward to your e-mail, and that seafood soup looks like New England Clam Chowder, but better. Thank you Mr. Graham.
Hey Leslie- Thank you for your kind words, and for so graciously warming up to our southern ways. The most appreciative are those that “choose” to live in Louisiana and come to understand the beauty of a life well lived. Here’s to good living, my transplanted Yankee friend. You are always welcome at my Acadiana Table. Best to you.
I received your email a few days ago about the seafood bisque and I was ready to try it. I was not disappointed. You know you have a winner when those at the table taste their first spoonful…pause…stare…then say, “oh, that’s good, really good!” Thanks for the recipe. I will be eating it again for sure.
Hey David – You said a mouthful with the word “pause.” It is the moment of silence after the first bite that speaks volumes. I love it so. All the best to you.
Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Hi George! I’m born and raised in Louisiana, and my last 22 years there, was living in NOLA. I now reside in Georgia. I always try to incorporate a dish of my heritage in holiday meals, and I couldn’t quite decide…until I found your recipe. It looks divine. I’ll come back here and rate it afterwards. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes and your stories. They keep LA in my heart.
Tammy – Thanks so much for your kind words, and I look forward to hearing how your Seafood Bisque turns out. Stay safe.
I made it for Easter, exactly as directed in the recipe. My only problem was that the base seemed to curdle a bit. I went ahead and added the seafood. It was still VERY tasty! Any ideas?
Hey Tammy- Did you add the 2 cup of heavy cream, an important step to prevent curdling. Curdling occurs when the proteins in a sauce bind together, separating from the water and tightening up into curds. Pure milk has water in it so the cream adds fat, essential to stop the separation. Glad it was still tasty. All the best.
Yes I did, but it doesn’t deter me from making it again. Thanks George!
Bonjour from the south of France, a transplanted Ville Platte boy is really looking forward to trying this recipe! Sadly, here I can not get fresh crab meat, so I will try the canned version along with fresh shrimp …stay tuned for the results! Will try this Easter weekend…as we are still in lockdown here, so plenty time to relax et try new recipes!
Joseph – Bonjour! So glad to hear from an ex-pat leaving in France. You may not have Louisiana’s tasty blue crab there, but there should be plenty of fresh substitutes if you are near the coast. I traveled throughout France one summer 30 years ago and found the perfect bouillabaisse just outside Cannes at a small eatery called Restaurant Tetou. Great memories. All the best.
You lucky Cajun. I’m green with envy. Enjoy.
Merci Guy! It is very nice here and a great living experience.
All the best,
Joe
Your column makes me smile. I thought everyone in the world grew up with shrimp stew or a pot of gumbo on the stove until I was grown. My family was from Napoleonville, La. and were wonderful cooks. My mother was the most innovative of the 8 kids and used to make stuffed artichokes with crabmeat, shrimp and garlic breadcrumbs and a wonderful yellow squash casserole with shrimp and a gratin topping. I have made the seafood bisque and love your version but I must admit that any bisque is a hard thing to pass up. Love your blog and look forward to seeing many more recipes. I remember mother used to make a spinach souffle made in a mold and served with a mushroom cream sauce in the center so when it was cut you got some of the mushroom sauce with it. That recipe was lost but if you have a version, I would love to have it, it was fabulous.
Dana- I’ve not run across a spinach mold recipe in all my travels and research. I would love to hear more about it. I will check in some of my older Louisiana cookbooks and see if anything turns up. Thanks for the comment and stay safe.
Sounds soooo good… Cannot wait to create!! Lol
I made this for Good Friday dinner, and that bisque is to die for! It’s with dishes like this that I miss NOLA most, but your recipes take me home. I served it with French bread and a lightly dressed green salad – spectacular! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!
This is going to be the best Mothers Day gift to both my Mom and Mom-in-law. Been searching for a true-blue version of both crab and shrimp combined into this dish. Spot on! From Northwest FL where everyone has pretty much grown up with the influences of our neighbors in LA. Love the simplicity of this recipe, as not to overpower the flavors of our treasured fresh blue crab and sweet succulent Pensacola Bay shrimp. My moms are going to be very happy. One being native to Pensacola and the other from Ponchatoula. Thanks for making this combo of yumminess.
Hey Kimberly- What a sweet and spicy gift for Mother’s Day. All the best to you and your very lucky family.
This sounds fabulous – as all your recipes do. Can this be frozen?
Adele- I wouldn’t. Cream-based soups, and especially with seafood, are not at their best when freezing and thawing out to recook. Make it fresh for best results.
I wonder how this would work as an oyster stew base.
WIlliam – Yes, for sure. I like how you think. Go for it.
How adversely will the flavor be effected if I do not add the wine to the recipe?
Barron- Simply leave it out, and I believe it will still be delicious. All the best.
I just made this last week, and my bride loved it, though it was a bit spicy for her. Next time, I’ll reduce some of the pepper. I am also going to use half a package of frozen crawfish tails and use chunks of lobster. I am prepping for your paella again, as well. I’m a recovering alcoholic (37 years), but used the wine for deglazing, as most of the alcohol burns off. I intend to use a dry sparkling white grape cider next time, to see how it works, flavor-wise. Damn, George, you’re just hell on wheels in my lil’ ‘ol Yankee kitchen. I’ve been having you help me with cooking stuff that I got used to whilst rough-necking on an oil rig 53 years ago. You’ve managed to branch me out even further. Thanks for being a regular guy, too, when it comes to talking with your fans. You deserve a “Good Guy” humanitarian award! May y’all’s roux never blacken!
Hey Richard- Great to hear from you, and I like your thinking about adding lobster. Always use Louisiana crawfish, but, in my book, a little additional Maine lobster never hurt any Louisiana dish. Be careful with substituting the grape cider for wine; I am concerned about the added sweetness. You can leave the wine out, and this dish will still be exceptional. All the best to my Florida friend.
Just made this and it was delicious! I like the earlier comment about using oysters, going to try that next time.
This bisque was absolutely ah-mazing! I live in Central TX, met friends at an Airbnb in SW AR for the fall leave change. I brought gulf shrimp & crab with me. We were all so impressed with the flavor explosion of this bisque. I’m planning on making this the week of Thanksgiving for family. I can’t wait!