LOBSTER BISQUE

Beautifully smooth and creamy with succulent morsels of rich lobster. Extra work, but well worth the effort! If this is your first course, follow with a perfectly prepared beef tenderloin, a simple green vegetable, and decadent dessert such as Crème Brûlée. This recipe was adapted from a class I took at Central Market several years ago. 2 large onions, diced 2 T. canola oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 4 celery stalks, cut in 1-inch pieces 1 bunch leeks, cleaned, white part only cut into half moons 1 small can tomato paste, pan sauted in a tiny bit of olive oil for a few minutes to deepen flavor 4 T. paprika 1 gallon liquid made from lobster base with water or 1 gallon chicken broth 1 large lobster tail or 2-3 small tails, with shells reserved ½ c. brandy 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 c. flour 1 c. heavy cream salt to taste dash of cayenne pepper or tabasco Bring the stock to boil in large soup pot. Serparately, put a large saute pan with high flame under it. When the pan is very hot, add the 2 T. oil. Immediately add the lobster shells and stir to coat with oil and caramelize. When the shells are bright red, add the onions, garlic, celery and leek. Stir to combine with the shells. Let the mixture cook until the vegetables release their juices and the liquid has completely evaporated. Add the paprika and stir well to coat all the vegetable lobster shell mix. Next add the tomato paste, and again stir well to combine. Let cook for another 5 minutes. Try not to let the bottom of the pan burn or there will be black specks in your soup. Deglaze the pan with the brandy and let reduce while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Make a roux with the butter and flour to a light peanut color. When the stock comes to a boil, begin whisking in the prepared roux a little at a time to thicken to a gravy consistency. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the shell mixture to the soup and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Strain the soup in small batches through a fine mesh strainer or Chinois to remove all the solids, so the soup is glossy smooth. Finish the soup with heavy cream, season to taste with salt and cayenne or tabasco. Just before serving, add the reserved lobster chunks and simmer until just cook through. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8

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