Created By: Gourmet Cookbook
Difficutly: moderate
Time: 2 Hours 30 Min
Portion: 8 servings
Ingredients:
3 quarts water
1 cup dry white wine
3 fresh tarragon sprigs
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 (1 to 1 1/4 pound) live lobsters
1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Cognac or other brandy
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Optional Garnish: chopped fresh tarragon
Directions:
Cook the Lobsters:
Combine water, wine, tarragon sprigs, bay leaf and salt in an 8 to 10 quart pot and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Plunge lobsters headfirst into boiling liquid, loosely cover pot and cook for 9 minutes. With tongs, transfer lobsters to a shallow baking pan to cool. Pour cooking liquid into a large bowl.
Crack lobster shells and remove meat from claws, joints and tails. Transfer all juices and tomalley to a bowl and reserve shells; discard lobster bodies. Cut meat into 1/2 inch pieces; refrigerate covered. Wrap claw shells in a kitchen towel and pound with a mallet (they are usually to tough to cut with shears). With kitchen shears, cut remaining shells into 1/2 inch pieces.
Make the Bisque:
Pulse carrots, celery, onions and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Melt butter in a cleaned pot over moderate heat, add chopped vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add lobster shells and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in Cognac and simmer until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cayenne, lobster cooking liquid and reserved juices and tomalley. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Compost bay leaf.
With a slotted spoon, transfer solids (including shells) in small batches to a food processor and puree until as smooth as possible (shells will still be in large pieces.) Force solids through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on them. Then pour some cooking liquid through sieve to help push as much of solids through as possible; discard remaining solids. Return soup to cleaned pot.
Stir together 1/2 cup soup and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth. Bring soup to a boil, then stir cornstarch mixture and whisk into soup. Simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream, lemon juice, lobster meat, and salt to taste and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes; do not let boil.
Serve garnished with tarragon, if desired.
Notes:
The bisque can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cool uncovered, then refrigerate covered. Reheat, stirring over low heat; do not let boil. Start to Finish time: 3 hours, 30 minutes