Lobster Stock (~6 cups)
- 1 large onion, halved
- 2 stalks celery, halved
- 1 carrot, halved
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 5 peppercorns
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Lobster shells (as many as you can fit)
- Water to cover
Bisque (~8-10 servings)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- ~1 cup celery, diced (about 8 stalks)
- ~1 cup carrots, diced (about 4 medium)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 sprig fresh tarragon (or 1 tsp dried)
- ~1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 6 cups lobster stock
- 1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar
- ~1 lb cooked lobster meat, cut into chunks
- Chopped chives for garnish
Make The Lobster Stock First
In a large stock pot, combine your lobster shells with onion, celery, carrot, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves. Press down on everything to eliminate any pockets of air.
Fill with water until it is about two inches from the top, bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer. The resulting stock should be about six cups; if you have less than that, add water to bring it to six cups.
You can make the stock in advance and freeze for up to six months.
Build The Bisque Base
In a large Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat.
Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic; season with salt and white pepper; cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
The vegetables should be translucent and fragrant, but should still maintain their shape.
Add Aromatics & Thicken
Add the tarragon, tomato paste, paprika, and cayenne; stir until the tomato paste has coated everything in the pan and has started to darken, about two minutes.
Add flour; continue to stir until there are no longer any white streaks left, about one minute.
The mixture should look thick and pasty – this is absolutely normal.
Deglaze & Simmer
Add the white wine and sherry; raise the heat to medium-high and stir constantly until the liquid has mostly evaporated (approximately 3-4 minutes).
Add the lobster stock, fresh sprig of thyme, and bay leaf; season with salt and white pepper; cover; reduce heat and simmer until all vegetables are very soft, approximately 25 minutes.
You should be able to easily separate the vegetables with a spoon.
Puree Until Completely Smooth
Remove the sprigs of thyme and bay leaf; using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth.
If using a standard blender, work in small batches; be sure to blend for a minimum of 60 seconds.
The finished product should be silky and have no grainy pieces; if there are still any grainy pieces remaining after blending, you should strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Finish & Serve
Return the soup to medium-low heat and stir in the cream and sherry vinegar.
Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. You will likely need to add additional salt and/or white pepper than you think.
To serve, place a majority of the lobster meat in each bowl; save at least a few pieces of lobster meat for garnish. Pour the bisque over the lobster meat in each bowl and sprinkle with remaining lobster and chives.
The finished bisque should coat the back of the spoon, but still pour easily from ladle to bowl.
Lobster Bisque
Ingredients
~6 cups
- 1 large onion halved
- 2 stalks celery halved
- 1 carrot halved
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 5 peppercorns
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Lobster shells as many as you can fit
- Water to cover
Bisque (~8-10 servings)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- ~1 cup celery about 8 stalks, diced
- ~1 cup carrots about 4 medium, diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 sprig fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried
- ~1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 6 cups lobster stock
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar
- ~1 lb cooked lobster meat cut into chunks
- Chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
- Make lobster stock by combining shells, vegetables, and aromatics in a pot. Cover with water, boil then simmer 25-30 minutes. Strain and reserve 6 cups.
- Melt butter in Dutch oven. Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add tarragon, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne. Stir in flour until no white streaks remain.
- Deglaze with white wine and sherry. Add lobster stock, thyme, bay leaf. Simmer 25 minutes.
- Remove herbs. Puree soup completely smooth using immersion blender.
- Return to heat. Stir in cream and sherry vinegar. Adjust seasoning.
- Divide lobster meat in serving bowls. Ladle hot bisque over meat. Garnish with chives.
