Bisque de Homard (Lobster Bisque)

A luxurious, deeply flavored soup built from roasted lobster shells, brandy, tomato and cream.

Ingredients

• 2 live lobsters (about 1.5 lb / 680 g each)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 8 cups fish or shellfish stock
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1/3 cup rice (to thicken)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Cayenne, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Plunge the lobsters into boiling water for 2 minutes, then remove. Crack and remove the meat, dice it, and reserve. Chop the shells and bodies.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot and saute the chopped shells over high heat until bright red and fragrant.
3. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until softened, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
4. Off the heat add the brandy and carefully flambe, then add the white wine and reduce by half.
5. Add the stock, bouquet garni and rice, bring to a boil, then simmer 45 minutes.
6. Remove the large shells and bouquet garni. Blend the soup, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing hard to extract all the flavor.
7. Return to the pot, stir in the cream, and season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Warm the reserved lobster meat in a little butter and divide among the bowls before ladling in the bisque.

Notes

Adapted from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook; an example of his respect for classic French technique.