Lobster Bisque

Lobster bisque with homemade stock and tail and claw meat.

Ingredients

• 2 Whole Lobsters, Approximately 1½–2 lb Each
• ½ cup Dry White Wine, for Steaming
• Lobster Stock — Reserved Lobster Heads, Legs, Tail Shells and Claw Shells
• Lobster Stock — Onion, Carrot, Garlic, Celery and Rosemary Trimmings/Stems
• Lobster Stock — Water, Just Enough to Cover (Start with Approximately 6 cups)
• Lobster Stock — 2 Bay Leaves
• Lobster Stock — ½ tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
• Lobster Stock — Kosher Salt, to Taste
• Bisque — 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Bisque — ½ Yellow Onion, Diced
• Bisque — ½ Large Carrot, Diced
• Bisque — 1 Celery Rib, Diced
• Bisque — 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• Bisque — 3 tsp Fresh Rosemary, Finely Chopped
• Bisque — Reserved Raw Lobster Bodies, Cleaned and Cut into 2-3 Pieces
• Bisque — ½ cup Dry Sherry
• Bisque — 2 cups Lobster Stock
• Bisque — 1 cup Crushed Tomatoes
• Bisque — 1 qt Heavy Cream
• Bisque — Reserved Parcooked Tail and Claw Meat, Chopped
• Bisque — Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Method

1. PREPARE: Reserve the trimmings from preparing the vegetables for the stock.
2. PREPARE THE LOBSTERS: Place each lobster on a stable, nonslip cutting board. Insert the tip of a large, sharp chef’s knife into the head and immediately bring the blade down through the head, leaving the tail intact. Separate the claws, tails, heads, legs and bodies. Remove the stomach sac and intestinal tract. Reserve the heads and legs for stock, the raw bodies for the bisque, and the tails and claws for steaming.
3. PARCOOK THE TAILS AND CLAWS: Pour the white wine into a pot and bring to a simmer. Add the claws and tails, cover and steam for approximately 3–5 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. Remove the meat from the shells and chop into bite-size pieces. Refrigerate while preparing the bisque.
4. LOBSTER STOCK: Add the empty tail and claw shells back to the steaming pot with the reserved heads and legs. Add the vegetable trimmings, bay leaf and peppercorns. Add just enough water to cover and season with kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 30–45 minutes, skimming as needed. Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Measure 2 cups for the bisque. Cool and refrigerate or freeze the remaining stock for another use.
5. MAKE THE BISQUE: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and lightly caramelize for a few minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a minute, until fragrant. Add the cleaned and cut lobster bodies. Cook for approximately 5–7 minutes, stirring and turning the pieces, until the shells turn red. Pour in the sherry, stirring to release any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce the wine by half. Stir in the 2 cups of lobster stock, crushed tomatoes and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you reach the desired consistency.
6. BLEND AND STRAIN: Blend in small batches. Pass each batch through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, pressing the solids to extract the liquid. Discard the solids. Return the strained bisque to low heat and bring to serving temperature. Stir in the chopped tail and claw meat and cook gently for 3–5 minutes to finish cooking. Avoid a hard boil. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Garnish with croutons and fresh parsley.