BISQUE*****New Year's Eve Lobster Bisque

By Unblond1

This is super and Dan raved about it. It's quite a bit of work though, so it's only for special occasions.

Ingredients

• 3 servings
• 1-pound live lobster or two small frozen ones or two or three frozen tails
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1/2 large celery stalk, sliced
• 1 small carrot, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fennel
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tomato or a handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1 pinch dried tarragon
• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 whole black peppercorns
• 1 pinch cayenne
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup dry Sherry
• 3 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice (1 bottle of clam juice plus enough chicken broth to make 3 cups total)
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 - 2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with a little chicken broth
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Details

Servings 3

Preparation

Step 1

* *Remove* lobster meat from shells, reserving shells. *Coarsely* chop lobster meat; cover and chill. *Coarsely* chop lobster shells and bodies; transfer to medium bowl. Reserve juices from lobster, if any.

* *Heat* olive oil and butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. *Add* onion and other vegetables and saute until tender. *Add* lobster shells and bodies and sauté until shells begin to brown, about 8 minutes. *Add* tomato and herbs. *Mix* in brandy and flambe, if desired. )I didn't bother) *Add* sherry. *Boil* until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 6 - 8 minutes. *Add* clam broth and chicken stock and *simmer*, partially covered, for 1 hour.

* *Strain* soup through sieve set over large saucepan, pressing firmly on solids. *Whisk* tomato paste into soup. *Set aside* until serving time. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

* When ready to server, bring soup back to a *simmer* then stir in cornstarch mixed with broth and cook until soup is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 - 2 cups, about 15 minutes.

* *Add* cream to soup and simmer 5 minutes. *Mix* reserved lobster meat into soup and stir to cook and heat through, then serve.

This makes three smallish servings. I was happy with one and Dan had two (we had it with foie gras tartines for New Year's Eve).