AB's Lobster Bisque

Name: AB's Lobster Bisque
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: The shells of 2 lobsters, raw or cooked (about 1 pound); 5 sprigs thyme; 5 sprigs tarragon; 5 sprigs parsley; 4 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter, divided; 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped; 1 large white onion, peeled and chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, plus more to taste; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons dry sherry, divided; 6 cups seafood stock (preferably homemade but if not, see note); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cooked white rice; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar; Fresh chives, finely chopped

ACTIVE TIME: 45

TOTAL TIME: 1 15

Yield: 4

Despite my abiding adoration of chowders (I'm married to a New Englander after all), when it comes to extracting maximum gustatory glory from Homarus Americanus, aka the Maine lobster, a velvety bisque is the way I go. The key to this recipe is to extract as much flavor from the shells as possible, and to utilize not one but two thickeners: rice, which must be cooked properly and blended judicially, and a kneaded paste of flour and butter the French call beurre manié. While I wouldn't nominate this application for "quick and easy dish of the year," it is well worth the time, the effort, and the ingredients. Oh, and since this version doesn't call for any actual lobster meat, you're free to apply that delicacy to other dishes. Hence, this is a real "claw to tail" kind of dish.

Photo by Lynne Calamia

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Software

The shells of 2 lobsters, raw or cooked (about 1 pound)
5 sprigs thyme
5 sprigs tarragon
5 sprigs parsley
4 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter, divided
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons dry sherry, divided
6 cups seafood stock (preferably homemade but if not, see note)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Fresh chives, finely chopped

Specialized Hardware

7-8-quart Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot

Colander

Fine-mesh sieve

Blender

ACTIVE TIME: 45

TOTAL TIME: 1 15

Yield: 4

Procedure

Place the lobster shells in a gallon-size zip top bag and seal tightly, pushing out any air. Pound the shells with a heavy object such as a rolling pin or meat mallet until crushed into small pieces. Set aside. Make a bundle with the thyme, tarragon, and parsley sprigs, tie tightly with butchers twine and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 7-8-quart Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add the chopped carrot, onion, celery, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the white pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
Add the lobster shells and cook for about 8 minutes, until you begin to see browning around the edges and bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste and stir to thoroughly coat the shells, 2 minutes. Carefully pour in 1/2 cup of the dry sherry and cook until it's almost evaporated, 2 minutes. Drop in your herb bundle and pour in the seafood stock. Crank the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid (slightly ajar), and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
While the stock is cooking, make a beurre manié with the remaining room temperature butter and flour in a small bowl using a spoon to mash it all together. You'll use this later to thicken the soup.
Strain the stock through a colander into a large bowl pressing on the shells with a wooden spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Discard the shells and aromatics and wipe out the cooking pot. Return the strained stock to the pot and bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Add the beurre manié into the simmering stock one tablespoon at a time, whisking vigorously to fully dissolve each addition. Continue whisking and simmering for about 3 minutes then kill the heat.
Transfer the soup to a blender and add the cooked rice. Blend on high speed for 1 minute or until very smooth.
Place a fine mesh sieve over your cooking pot and strain the contents of the blender back in. Turn the heat to medium and add the heavy cream, the remaining dry sherry, and sherry vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. Check the seasoning and add more salt, if needed, plus a few grinds of white pepper.
Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of fresh chives, if desired.

Note: Since we didn't have any homemade seafood stock on hand, we tested our bisque with pacific Foods brand seafood stock and Kitchen Basics seafood stock. We preferred the flavor of the bisque using Kitchen Basics brand which contains 400 mg of sodium per cup. Pacific Foods brand contains half that amount, Depending on which one you choose, you'll need to adjust your salt accordingly.