Weekend Cooking: Lobster Bisque

This week’s Weekend Cooking is a continuation of the post from last weekend. Using the lobster stock we created last weekend (in theory) we use it to make lobster bisque!  The recipe is again from the Mystic Seafood cookbook.  I changed mine up a little from the recipe, but I will go into that a little later.

Here are a few more historical lobster tidbits…that you always wanted to know:

• Did you know…in the 1700’s, lobsters were so inexpensive they were frequently fed to servants, and some servants tired of eating lobster stipulated in their contracts that they would be fed the crustaceans only a certain number of days a week?
• Did you know…in WWII lobster was not among the foods rationed because it was considered a delicacy – leading to an increase in lobster consumption by the wealthy?
• Did you know…native peoples of the United States used lobsters as fertilizer and bait for fishing?

Lobster Bisque
Serves 6

Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
½ cup celery, finely diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Pinch of thyme
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ cup flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sherry, divided
½ cup tomato juice
1 tablespoon lobster base plus 3 cups water or 3 cups lobster stock
Hot sauce, sea salt, and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 bay leaf

Directions:

1) Melt butter in a large stock pot over low heat. Saute the onion, celery, and garlic until soft. Add the thyme and paprika and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
2) Stir in the flour a little at a time until you have a roux or thin paste. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in ½ cup of sherry and cook another minute.
3) Whisk in the tomato juice along with the lobster base and water or lobster stock. Add bay leaf and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly.
4) Season with hot sauce, sea salt, and pepper if desired. Simmer another 5 minutes.
5) Stir in the heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons of sherry. Reduce the heat to less than a simmer and stir until the soup is piping hot.

Here are the changes that I made from the original recipe: I used store bought seafood stock in place of lobster stock (I couldn’t find lobster base and wasn’t making stock) and I added in minced lobster meat during the last 5 minutes of simmering to make a heartier soup. And boy did this come out good. It was slightly spicy (from the hot sauce) while being smooth and creamy. It was also very easy to make and not much prep time.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Any post remotely related to cooking can participate.

 

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