Winter weather begs for a piping hot bowl of soup. Here is a collection of some of the best chowders, bisques and gumbos to shake off the chill. All are hearty, stand-alone meals, made from cherished recipes and slowly simmered stocks.
Daddy Jack’s Lobster Bisque (bowl $6, cup $5, add claw meat $4 more). It is creamy, well-seasoned and rich beyond words. The lobster broth made from boiling the shells imparts that distinct flavor. Fresh lobster claw meat can be added.
www.daddyjacks.org
Eddie V’s crab and corn chowder ($9). This version is lighter than most. Eddie V’s uses a light hand with the heavy cream. Sweet corn, potatoes and smoked bacon blend nicely with fresh crab meat.
www.eddiev.com
Jon Bonnell’s signature seafood gumbo ($12 large, $8 small). He fills the bowl with hefty Gulf classic ingredients such as shrimp, crawfish, Tasso ham and andouille sausage. Creole seasoning adds just the right heat and the dish is slowly simmered to perfection.
www.waterstexas.com
Lucile’s classic lobster bisque (bowl $6.95, cup $4.95). One of the most flavorful and silkiest around. A rich and unmistakable lobster stock base blends with cream and butter, making this bisque extra creamy.
www.lucilesstatesidebistro.com
J&J Oyster Bar bullseye (bowl $7.50, cup $6). This bowl combines two favorites: a cream-and-clam-juice-based clam chowder chock full of diced potato and chewy clams and a ladle of gumbo smack-dab in the center. The tomato-based gumbo is one of J&J’s bestsellers. The original recipe is mild with tender rice, slices of sausage and shrimp.
www.jjsoysterbar.com