Lobster Bisque

MarielC's Note:

This is my adaptation of a recipe by Mark Bittman. This is easier to make than the original recipe because you don’t need to fuss with cooking live lobsters or getting the meat out of the shells and you don’t need quite as large a pot to accommodate whole lobsters. Either boil or steam the lobsters yourself or buy lobster already cooked at a local fishmonger. If you don’t have a hand blender use a food processor, blender or food mill. Serve with a few drops of a flavorful hot sauce such as Franks or Texas Champagne (but warn people not to add too much as you want to keep the delicate taste), cognac, sherry and oyster crackers or toasted croutons.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic , minced
• 1 medium carrot , chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 ½-4 lbs cooked lobster meat , cut into chunks
• 1 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio, dry vermouth, or sauvignon blanc)
• 1 cup tomato , peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 6 cups lobster stock or 6 cups chicken stock or 6 cups fish stock or 6 cups the strained liquid reserved from boiling lobsters
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cognac (optional) or 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• chopped fresh parsley leaves (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Over medium heat in a large deep pot melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Add 3 pounds of the lobster meat to the pot. Refrigerate the rest of the lobster meat. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the wine and tomato. Raise the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the stock. Raise the heat to high, and bring back to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes.
5. Use a hand blender to puree the soup. (At this point, you may refrigerate the soup, covered, for up to 2 days. Reheat before proceeding.) Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat to medium or medium-low so it bubbles gently. Add the remaining butter in bits, stirring it in until it all melts. Add the cream and the remaining lobster meat. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cognac. Garnish with parsley. Ladle into soup bowls or cups making sure each serving has some chunks of lobster meat.