Seafood In Celery Root And Lovage Broth

ROASTED CELERY ROOT, POTATO AND WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the celery root and potatoes in a roasting pan and toss with 2 teaspoons of the salt and pepper to taste. Spray lightly with the olive oil. Roast until tender, tossing from time to time, about 40 minutes.
• Spray a large, nonstick skillet lightly with olive oil and place over medium heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and saute until browned and softened, about 5 minutes.
• Place the chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Season with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Arrange the mushrooms in the center of 4 soup plates. Mound the celery root and potatoes over the mushrooms. Ladle the broth around the vegetables, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

LOBSTER LOVAGE STEW

Steps:

• In a 10- to 12-quart kettle bring 8 quarts water and 1 1/2 cups wine to a boil. Plunge lobsters into liquid headfirst and return liquid to a boil. Simmer lobsters, covered, 12 minutes. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. With tongs plunge lobsters immediately into bowl of ice water to stop cooking and reserve cooking liquid.
• Working over a bowl to catch juices, twist off tails and claws and reserve juices. Discard head sacs. Reserve tomalley and any roe if desired and remove meat from tails and claws, reserving shells. Cut meat into bite-size pieces and chill, covered, in a bowl.
• Chop 2 carrots and add to reserved cooking liquid with reserved lobster juices, reserved tomalley and roe if using, reserved shells, onions, 1/2 cup lovage or celery leaves, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and peppercorns. Simmer stock gently, uncovered, skimming froth occasionally, 1 1/4 hours.
• Pour stock through a large sieve into a large bowl and transfer to cleaned kettle. Boil stock until reduced to about 7 cups and return to bowl.
• Finely chop remaining 2 carrots and in a 5- to 6-quart kettle cook with shallot in butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook, stirring, 3 minutes, but do not brown vegetables. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine and boil, stirring, until most of wine is evaporated. Add tomatoes and stock and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and cook stew, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Stew and lobster meat may be prepared 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat stew before proceeding.
• Finely chop remaining 1/2 cup lovage or celery leaves and stir into stew with lobster meat. Cook stew, stirring, until just heated through.

PURéE OF CELERY ROOT SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, heat 3 tablespoons oil and add leek, onion, celery and garlic. Sauté until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes.
• Add celery root and stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until celery root is tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes.
• Using a blender and working in batches, purée soup until smooth. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and milk as needed to enrich soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, soup may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving. Reheat gently just until steaming.
• To serve, divide soup among four bowls. Garnish with chervil or tarragon, and serve hot.