Lobster Bisque Serves 6 to 8 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 shallots, thinly sliced 12 mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 cup brandy 1 cup Madeira 6 cups Lobster Stock, see recipe below 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice dash of Tabasco Beurre Manie: 1 tablespoon softened, unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Saute shallots until golden, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook over high heat until slightly browned, about 2 additional minutes. Remove from heat and add brandy and Madeira, reserving 1/4 cup of each for a final seasoning. Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced by half. Add Lobster or Crayfish Stock and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the strength of your stock. (Weaker stocks need to cook longer to concentrate their flavors.) Occasionally skim and discard foam that rises to top. Make beurre manie by mixing butter and flour together with your fingers to form a smooth paste. Press onto ends of a whisk. When broth has a strong, almost salty, lobster or crayfish flavor, add cream and bring it back to a boil, skimming foam occasionally. Then whisk in beurre manie until dissolved. Cook an additional 5 minutes over high heat, whisking occasionally. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing with the back of a ladle to extract all juices. Season with lemon juice, reserved brandy and Madeira, and Tabasco and serve immediately. Lobster Stock Makes 6 3/4 cups 4 (1 1/2 pound) lobsters or 4 pounds crayfish 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 1/4 cup olive oil 2 medium onions, finely chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 cups dry white wine 1 cup Madeira 5 cups fish stock, clam juice, or water 3 cups tomato juice 1 head garlic, with skins, cut in half horizontally 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, with stems 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 2 bay leaves 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon cayenne Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil, add lobsters, and cook at a fast boil until done, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool, then remove and reserve tail and claw meat for another use. Do this messy job over a bowl to reserve drippings. Crush shells, which will be the base of the stock, using a mallet or hammer, then grind as fine as possible with reserved drippings in a food processor. Follow same procedure for crayfish, reserving tail meat and claws, if possible, then grinding shells. Melt butter and oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook onions, carrots, celery, and salt until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in crushed shells, white wine, and Madeira. Turn heat to high and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add clam juice and tomato juice. Bring to a boil and carefully skim and discard foam that rises to surface. Add remaining ingredients and cook at a simmer, uncovered, 1 hour 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze indefinitely.

© 2012 Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.  All rights reserved.