Hi everyone, it’s Kevin from Kevin Is Cooking. Special thanks to Rachel for letting me contribute here on The Stay at Home Chef. For today’s post I’m sharing my Restaurant Quality Lobster Bisque Soup. Restaurant quality? Yes. Delicious and rich? Yes. This one is definitely for those special occasions and worth the time it takes to make it, too. For that incredible, nuanced flavored soup you need to start with fresh lobster. Yes! Don’t be afraid, these guys come with strong rubber bands to hold those claws together. You’re safe. 🙂 I prefer steaming over boiling lobsters as the reserved liquid needed isn’t so diluted. As for that old wives tale about lobsters screaming as they hit their hot water demise… Lobsters can’t “scream” because lobsters don’t have lungs. The noise heard is caused by air trapped in the shell – when heated the air expands and gets forced out through small gaps, causing the sound. Rest easy now!
After the lobster is steamed, the meat removed, set aside and the shells broken down, the shells go into the soup pot filled with sautéed carrots, celery and onion. Sherry and clam juice are poured over all and herbs like tarragon and thyme are added, too. Tomato paste is stirred in and a low and slow hour long simmer is needed to develop the flavors.
The resulting broth is strained and the lobster shells tossed. They did their job, thanks for coming.
The secret to a creamy texture here is that I do not make it any fatter with a roux butter based sauce, but with using rice! Rice is added and steamed for 30 minutes and then the entire mixture is blended in a food processor or blender until smooth. Cream is added and then the delicious, succulent lobster chunks go in. Serve with toasted bread or a side salad for a complete meal. Cheers! Δ Δ
