Lobster Bisque
Not a recipe for the faint of heart...this is the real thing. Read the recipe and become completely familiar with the process before you begin.
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
2 live 1 1/4 pound lobsters (preferably Maine)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cognac
2 cups white wine
2 cups water
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons roughly chopped tarragon
1 bay leaf
28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes, drained
2 tsp. coarse salt
pinch of white pepper
1 cup light cream
1 cup milk
1. Melt 1/2 stick butter over moderate heat in a large saucepan, and add carrots, celery, and onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. (Do not allow them to color.)
2. Cut lobsters in half lengthwise, and remove the sand sack, which is located behind the mouth. Separate into tail pieces, claws and chest pieces. Do this over a large bowl to reserve juices. Add lobster sections to vegetables, and sauté over moderately high heat until shells turn red. Remove lobster pieces from the pan, and, when cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the tails and claws. Reserve meat.
3. Chop all the shells into smaller pieces and return to the pan. Add 1/4 cup cognac and ignite, gently tilting pan to flame all of the shells. When flames subside, add wine, water, garlic, tarragon, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Crush tomatoes with your hands and add to the pot along with any reserved juices, the coarse salt and white pepper. Stir well and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. (Do not allow the liquid to boil.)
4. Pull out as many pieces of shell as possible and reserve. Put the rest of the soup through a food mill, or into a fine sieve, pushing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return milled broth to pan, and add reserved lobster meat. Simmer over low heat for another 45 minutes, or until reduced to 2 cups.
5. Take reserved shells and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse processor for about 30 seconds, or until shells are finely shopped. Melt the remaining 1 stick of butter in a medium saucepan and add chopped shells. Cook over moderate heat, stirring often, for about 20 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve placed over a bowl. Push down on shells hard, forcing as much butter and liquid through the sieve as possible. Reserve butter and discard solids.
6. Remove reduced broth from heat. Purée in small batches in a blender and put through a fine sieve set over mixing bowl. Use a ladle to push on solid matter, extracting as much liquid as possible. Return to pot, add lobster butter and stir well together.
7. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon cognac to bisque, and heat gently for 5 to 7 minutes, or until alcohol has burned off. Add cream and milk and heat through. Do not boil. Serve immediately, garnished with a light sprinkling of tarragon.