Lobster Bisque LOBSTER STOCK BISQUE *Yields 1 Gallon *10 8oz Portions ½ C Olive Oil ½ C Butter 6 Lobster Bodies (all Shells and Carapaces) 2 Medium Onions, Finely Chopped 4 Carrots, Medium Size, Rough Cut, 1” Dice 3 Carrots, Peeled, Finely Chopped 6 Celery Stalks, Rough Cut 1” Dice 3 Stalks Celery, Finely Chopped 2 Onions, Medium Size, Rough Cut, 1” Dice Kosher Salt White Pepper or Fine Ground Black Pepper 4 Plum Tomatoes, Large Dice 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced 1 C Dry White Wine 4 Tbsp. Tomato Paste 12 Thyme Sprigs ½ C All-Purpose Flour 4 Bay Leaves 1 Gallon Lobster Stock 1 Gallon Water (enough to cover shells) 1 1/4 C Dry White Wine 1 Tbsp Black Pepper, Cracked 3 Bay Leaves METHOD 12 Thyme Sprigs 1 C Heavy Cream • Remove head sacs (behind the eyes) in the head; 1 lb. Cooked Lobster Meat, Chopped discard. Remove any green tomalley or red roe, wrap Chives, Finely Chopped, for Garnish shells in a clean kitchen towel. Using a rolling pin, meat pounder, or hammer, break shells into 2” pieces. • Add olive oil to large skillet or stock pot and heat METHOD over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to • In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, heat butter, shimmer, add the lobster shells, onions, carrots, onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until soft (about 7 celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme. Sauté, stirring often, minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic and 6-8 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened, and tomato paste. Cook until garlic is fragrant, and the lobster shells are fragrant and color turns to red. tomato paste coats vegetables (about 2 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir and cook, 1 addi- tional minute more. • Add the wine and tomatoes with their juices and return to a simmer. Cook another 5 minutes, then add • Pour in lobster stock and wine. Stir in bay leaf and enough cold water to cover the shells. Return to a thyme. Reduce heat, remove all settlement from simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue bottom of pan to prevent burning or sticking. Let to gently simmer another 40-60 minutes. Add salt and simmer until liquid is reduced and flavors meld, pepper to taste and remove from the heat. stirring occasionally, 30-45 minutes.

• When slightly cooled, pour the broth through a • Remove bay leaf and thyme and purée with an im- fine strainer. Let cool completely before using. mersion blender until smooth. (If immersion blender is unavailable use standard blender). Return to medium-low heat and stir in heavy cream and lobster meat, cooking just until warm, about 5-7 minutes.

• Garnish with chives. Lobster Facts

• Lobster was once considered the poor man’s chicken. In Colonial times, it was fed to pigs and goats, and only eaten by paupers.

• Lobsters can swim forward and backward. When they are alarmed, they scoot away in reverse by rapidly curling and uncurling their tails.

• When food is scarce, lobsters can turn cannibal and dine on smaller lobsters.

• Former President and First Lady George and Barbara Bush loved to eat lobster served fresh at Mable’s Restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine.

• Maine lobsters have large meaty claws. Spiny Caribbean lobsters have no claws and are sold mainly for their tails.

• Lobsters can grow up to four feet long and weigh as much as 40 pounds.

• It is believed that Lobsters can live up to 100 years.

• Lobsters were so plentiful that after a storm they would wash ashore in deep piles.

• Lobster blood is not red, it is clear. When cooked, the lobster blood turns into a whitish gel.

• A lobster’s claws are strong. A large lobster could break your finger.

• Maine lobstermen have caught over 100 million pounds of lobster annually since 2011.

• Depending on how warm the water is, lobsters will carry their eggs for up to a year. Only 1 percent of a lobster’s eggs will live more than six weeks.

• Lobstermen will throw back a female lobster carrying eggs, but not before cutting a notch in the tale to tell other fishermen she’s a good egg bearer.