Deconstructed Lobster Bisque Recipes

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Stock: In a large pot lined with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch salted water to a boil. Steam lobster tails, top-side down, until just cooked through and tails curl under, 6 to 8 minutes for small tails and 8 to 10 minutes for large. Transfer to a plate and let cool. When cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears to cut through underside of tails. Remove meat from shells; reserve shells. Run a paring knife along back of each tail and remove vein. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add shells and cook until fragrant and deep red in color, about 4 minutes. Add fish stock, wine, and 6 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, skimming impurities from surface, until reduced to 6 cups, 40 to 45 minutes. Strain stock into a large liquid-measuring cup or heatproof bowl. Wipe out pot. (Stock can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer up to 3 months.)
• Bisque: In same pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne; cook 1 minute. Add brandy, sherry, and strained lobster stock; season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf.
• Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Let cool 15 minutes. Whisk together cream and cornstarch, then stir into bisque. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning as desired.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add lobster meat and cook until just warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour soup into bowls and serve, topped with lobster, fennel fronds, and a squeeze of lemon, if desired. Soup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.

DECONSTRUCTED LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Blanch lobsters in salted, boiling water for 12 minutes and then immediately plunge into an ice bath. Crack lobster shells and remove meat. Set meat aside. If using shrimp, peel shrimp and set meat aside.
• Heat rondeau (a large pot, wide and low, with 2 handles) or other large pot to medium and add butter.
• When the butter stops bubbling, add lobster or shrimp shells, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and tomato puree. Cook until lightly caramelized.
• Deglaze with white wine and add thyme, bay leaves, and water. Cook for at least 30 minute Strain stock and discard solids.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add to strained liquid and stir to distribute, allowing mixture to thicken.
• Add brandy, sherry, and cream. Season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
• Saute lobster or shrimp meat in additional butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. serve with bisque.

PERFECT LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, celery, and carrot. Cook and stir until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour the vegetable and broth mixture into the container of a blender, and add 1/4 cup of the lobster meat. Cover, and process until smooth. Return to the saucepan, and stir in the half-and-half, white wine, and remaining lobster meat. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until thickened, about 30 minutes.

RED LOBSTER LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Place the water, the white wine and the fish stock into a wide, deep pot (or a Dutch oven), and bring to a boil on high heat.
• Place lobsters, topside down, in the broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook covered for approximately 6 minutes. With a pair of tongs, turn lobsters and cook covered for another 6 minutes.
• Remove lobsters from broth and put them to the side. When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, begin removing the meat from the shell, dicing the pieces into ½-inch cubes. Store the lobster meat in the refrigerator until later. Place the lobster shells back into the broth, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
• Strain the broth through a sieve into a container and store in the refrigerator until later. Discard the lobster shells.
• Put your pot (or Dutch oven) back on the stove under medium heat. Pour in the melted butter.
• Once the butter is heated up, add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Sautee for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the cognac (or brandy) and cook until the alcohol has evaporated.
• Mix in the flour, stirring with a heavy gauge spatula or spoon until the mixture is blond in color and has a buttery aroma.
• Mix the diced tomatoes, paprika, thyme and ground pepper with the cold broth from the refrigerator. Then, pour the broth slowly into the butter and vegetable mixture. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes under medium low heat, stirring frequently so not to burn.
• Remove bisque from heat. Blend small amounts of bisque in blender and then puree. Puree all of the bisque and pour pureed bisque back into pot with remaining amount.
• Add chopped lobster meat and heavy cream, heat and serve. If the soup is too thick, thin it by adding milk or water prior to serving.
• Chef's Tip:.
• Adding a touch of brandy or sherry to the stock can bring a wonderful touch to this classic preparation.

RICH LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• If using frozen lobster tails, allow to thaw completely before beginning. Split tails in half lengthwise; this is easier if you start at the fan end. Devein the tails.
• In a saucepan with a steamer insert and a tight-fitting lid, bring water and salt to a boil. Place lobster tails into steamer insert shell-side down; cover tightly and steam 5-7 minutes. Remove lobster and reserve steaming liquid.
• When cool enough to handle, remove meat from shell with a fork, preferably in one piece. Chill meat until needed.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add lobster shells and saute 5 minutes until flavors are released. Without removing the shells, deglaze the pan with white wine, chicken stock and the reserved steaming water. Simmer until reduced to about 6 cups, about 45 minutes. Strain.
• Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan. Add fennel and shallot. Saute 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add strained lobster stock, tomato, brandy, rice, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer 45 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf and thyme. Puree with immersion blender or bar blender, using appropriate safety techniques for blending hot liquids.
• Off heat, stir in heavy cream and lemon juice. Keep warm.
• Melt 1 T butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute reserved lobster tails until warmed through. Slice tail meat and use to garnish large bowls of soup. Serve hot.

LOW FAT LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Saute carrot,celery,leek in a nonstick pan using 1 tbsp olive oil, until tender. Puree vegetables with 1/2 cup of fish stock until a thick paste in texture, (will have fine chunks)set aside.
• Use other tbsp of olive oil to saute lobster tails in shells over medium heat until almost done, season with salt and pepper. Add minced garlic to pan with tails and remove from heat. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup of fish stock and allow to cool.
• I use the pan that I sauteed the vegetables in to build my bisque. Add remaining 3 cups of fish stock to pan, heat on medium heat until bubbling. Add puree and tomato paste and whisk. Remove lobster meat from tails and cut into large pieces. Pour fish stock from lobster pan back into bisque and add lobster meat. Reduce heat to low, add milk and sour cream and whisk to combine.
• Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• In a saute pan heat a little oil over med-high heat and saute shallots, onions, and garlic for one minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
• Add the worcestershire, tabasco, and thyme and saute for another minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the sherry.
• Add the paprika, hot water and lobster base and combine well.
• Stir in tomato paste and add the bay leaves.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Whisk in heavy cream and the butter and bring to a boil.
• Add the lobster and simmer until cooked through.
• Serve with crusty garlic bread.