Bisque Food

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Fill large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. There should be enough water to cover lobsters completely when immersed. Place live lobsters in boiling water head first to minimize splashing. When water re-boils, turn down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not overcook lobsters. Remove lobsters from the pot using tongs; save all the water in stockpot as this is now a flavorful stock to be re-used.
• Place 10 cups of stock in a clean stockpot and put on low heat. Clean claws and tails of lobsters and reserve meat, legs, and swimmerets. After lobsters are cleaned, place shells in stockpot with 10 cups of stock. Cut bodies in quarters and place in stockpot, making sure to include all roe and tomalley in pot. Add 1 cup tomato paste and simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to have heat so high as to burn stock. Pour entire contents of pot through sieve into clean stockpot; this should now be 8 cups of glorious red stock.
• Place onions, celery, carrots, thyme, parsley and saffron in a large saute pan, add 4 cups stock from original stock pot and put on high heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup tomato paste and black pepper. Turn down heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Press entire contents of saute pan through sieve into stockpot of 8 cups previously made stock.
• To finish Bisque, put pot on medium heat. Add heavy cream slowly, using whisk to blend. Add sherry. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes; bisque will thicken slightly. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and slowly add to bisque with whisk. Simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes.
• If you prefer your bisque to be thicker, you may add more cornstarch, or perhaps, flour, but have found the bisque thickens nicely over low heat, and additional cornstarch or flour takes away from the wonderful flavor.
• Place pieces of previous cleaned lobster meat in bowl and add 1 cup of bisque. Garnish with legs and swimmerets around the bowl and one parsley leaf in center, if desired.

ELEGANT SEAFOOD BISQUE

Steps:

• Sauté minced shallots in butter until soft.
• Add the flour and stir with whisk for 5 minutes on low heat, set aside.
• Bring one quart of water to a boil and add chicken base, clams, crab, shrimp and whole pieces of salmon and cod.
• Return to boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Strain the stock, reserving the seafood.
• Stir the shallot mixture into the stock.
• Add the heavy cream and half and half to the stock, bring to a simmer on low heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Chunk the salmon and cod and add all of the seafood back into the soup pot.
• Add the sherry and heat through, no more than 3 minutes.

SEAFOOD BISQUE

Steps:

• In 4-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth, half-and-half and wine. Stir in bell peppers and cod. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in shrimp. Simmer uncovered 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Stir in pesto, salt and pepper.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• In a saute pan heat a little oil over med-high heat and saute shallots, onions, and garlic for one minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
• Add the worcestershire, tabasco, and thyme and saute for another minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the sherry.
• Add the paprika, hot water and lobster base and combine well.
• Stir in tomato paste and add the bay leaves.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Whisk in heavy cream and the butter and bring to a boil.
• Add the lobster and simmer until cooked through.
• Serve with crusty garlic bread.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Boil water, add salt followed by Lobster, boil for 6 minutes. Remove lobster from water with tongs and place in cold water to cool. Reserve cooking liquid, this is your fish stock. If opting to use a ready cooked lobster you can substitute with other fish stock from a cube.
• Once cool enough to handle, place lobster on its back and with a chefs knife, cut the lobster from underneath, all the way from the tail to the head. Rinse away any tomally from the head cavities. Remove and refrigerate claw and tail meat.
• Heat 25 g. of the butter in your soup pot. Add the crushed lobster shells. Each piece should be not more than roughly 1 square inch. All pieces should be in contact with the butter, fry at medium high heat for 5 minutes until colour and smell is maximised.
• Deglaze the pot with the white wine, leaving the shells in the pot. Add the parsley, reserved salted boiling water and the chicken stock. Leave to boil slowly for 45 minutes. Place a lid on the pot after half the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, prep your veg and sautee in the rest of the butter. Once the stock is ready, drain the stock, taking care to remove any shell and parsley. Add the stock to the vegetables with the Thyme, Bayleaf, Tomato Pure, Brandy and Sherry. Boil slowly under a lid for another 45 minutes.
• When ready to serve, blend the bisque, add cream and reheat. Heat a tiny knob of butter with half the lemon juice in a pan, add the reserved lobster meat, fry over a moderate heat for 1 minutes. Add the rest of the lemon juice to the bisque. Place the lobster meat in a heated soup bowl and serve the bisque in front of the guest for added drama.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Stock: In a large pot lined with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch salted water to a boil. Steam lobster tails, top-side down, until just cooked through and tails curl under, 6 to 8 minutes for small tails and 8 to 10 minutes for large. Transfer to a plate and let cool. When cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears to cut through underside of tails. Remove meat from shells; reserve shells. Run a paring knife along back of each tail and remove vein. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add shells and cook until fragrant and deep red in color, about 4 minutes. Add fish stock, wine, and 6 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, skimming impurities from surface, until reduced to 6 cups, 40 to 45 minutes. Strain stock into a large liquid-measuring cup or heatproof bowl. Wipe out pot. (Stock can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer up to 3 months.)
• Bisque: In same pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne; cook 1 minute. Add brandy, sherry, and strained lobster stock; season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf.
• Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Let cool 15 minutes. Whisk together cream and cornstarch, then stir into bisque. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning as desired.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add lobster meat and cook until just warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour soup into bowls and serve, topped with lobster, fennel fronds, and a squeeze of lemon, if desired. Soup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.

SHRIMP BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1 bay leaf and 8 cups water. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain, discarding solids. DO AHEAD: Shrimp stock can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to same pot. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until very soft, about 20 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat; add brandy. Return pot to heat and stir until almost evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Add rice and tomato paste; stir for 1 minute. Add shrimp stock, remaining bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Simmer uncovered until flavors meld and rice is soft, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 4 shrimp for garnish and stir remaining shrimp into bisque. Remove parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.
• Working in batches, purée bisque in a blender until smooth. Pour through a finemesh strainer set over a clean pot. Discard solids in strainer. Stir in cream and reheat bisque over medium heat. Add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more cayenne, if desired.
• Mince reserved shrimp and mix with chives in a small bowl. Place 1 heaping tablespoon shrimp mixture in the center of large, shallow soup bowls. Ladle bisque around garnish and serve.