Lobster Bisque

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

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Rinse lobsters under cold, running water to remove dirt and grit. Freeze lobsters for 30 minutes.
Bring the wine and 3 bottles of clam juice to a boil over high heat in a stockpot large enough to hold the lobsters. Add lobsters to the pot. Cover the pot and steam the lobsters for 3 minutes. Shake the pot to redistribute the lobsters and steam for 4 minutes more. Remove the cover, being careful to avoid steam as it escapes. Use large tongs to transfer the lobsters to a large bowl. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.
Recipe Tip
When cooking with wine it’s important to choose one that is dry (not sweet) and unoaked, otherwise it can impart unwanted flavors to the finished dish. We like Sauvignon Blanc.
When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove meat from the tail and claws and dice. Place the meat in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Split the lobster body and head in half lengthwise with a heavy knife and remove inedible portions.
Recipe Tip
See our video lesson on breaking down cooked lobster to learn how to extract every bit of meat from the shell.
Grind the shells in a food processor in 2 or 3 batches. (A small amount of thin pinkish paste will adhere to some of the shells.) Heat a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the pan bottom. Add half of lobster shells; sauté until aromatic and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the browned shells to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining oil and shells. Return the first batch of browned shells to skillet. Pour the warmed brandy over the lobster shells and flambé, shaking the pan. When the flames subside, turn off the heat and hold the shells in the pan.
Recipe Tip
To keep your hand away from the flame use a long match or stick lighter to ignite the alcohol and make sure to stand back!
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are slightly softened and lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until combined thoroughly, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in reserved liquid from steaming lobsters, initially adding about ¼ cup at a time. Stir until blended, then continue adding the remaining liquid and scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tarragon sprig, and lobster shells. Pour remaining bottle of clam juice into the skillet once shells have been removed. Turn heat to high and bring liquid to a boil, scraping up browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the clam juice mixture to the pot with the shells. Once the liquid in the Dutch oven comes to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, ­stirring frequently, until thickened, about 20 ­minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for 10 ­minutes longer.
Recipe Tip
The brown layer that forms on the bottom of the pot when sauteing is called a fond; make sure to use your spoon to really scrape it up—those bits are packed with flavor that you want to end up in your soup. While the soup is simmering make sure to stir it often and thoroughly so that the bottom doesn’t scorch.
Strain bisque through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, pressing on solids with back of ladle to extract all liquid. Wash and dry Dutch oven. Return strained bisque to Dutch oven and stir in lemon juice and cayenne. Bring soup to simmer over medium-high heat. When hot, add diced lobster meat and sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with minced tarragon.
Recipe Tip
If there are a lot of shells in your pot you may need to strain the bisque in 2 batches. Don’t skip the step of washing the pot before proceeding with the recipe! One tiny shell fragment can wreak havoc on your bisque.