Spicy Lobster Bisque

With a touch of Louisiana

I’d be lying if I said I’m not feeling the culinary doldrums that are common to this time of year; it’s a dead zone before anything exciting sprouts, and my greenmarket attendance has been paltry. It can dull the blade, so to speak, of even the most enthusiastic home cooks.

Thankfully, though, you can still get a jolt of inspiration from somebody in the know during these bare months. In this case, my fiancée’s parents shipped over a few lobsters from Maine for Chinese New Year. Lobsters are best enjoyed simply and quickly, of course, but in some lucky instances, you may have an abundance.

Using some of the leftover shells and meat, I made this spicy lobster bisque that is at once traditional and spiked with Louisiana flavor — in this case, literally Louisiana brand hot sauce, one of my favorites. That hot sauce partners up with a rich lobster stock and dry sherry for a spicy take on the classic bisque flavor; the soup also utilizes the somewhat quaint method of blending in a cup of cooked white rice for thickening, which I found to be excellent.

Of course, if you don’t have lobster, you can absolutely still make this with any manner of seafood; you don’t even need to add in fresh chunks of lobster, shrimp or fish at the end. If you have shrimp shells and fish skins in the freezer (as I often do), you can make a simpler, low-budget version of this with just as much success.

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Spicy Lobster Bisque

Makes about 1 quart of soup and 2 quarts of stock

Ingredients

• 1 large lobster; alternatively you can use a combination of shrimp or fish

• 1 pint of fish stock; can be store-bought or you can make your own using seafood scraps, aromatics (onion, garlic, bay leaf, citrus, etc.) and water

• 1 leftover salmon filet skin, if you have it

• 1 cup cooked white rice

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 shallots; one split in half, one finely minced

• 1 celery stalk, cut in half; one half kept whole, the other diced

• 3-4 garlic cloves, whole

• Lemon/orange peels

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1/2 cup of tomato purée

• 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce, or any red, vinegar-based hot sauce

• 1/3 cup fino sherry

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. If you have live lobsters, boil them according to instructions and then separate the meat from the shells and roughly chop shells so they fit in your pot. Refrigerate if you’re doing this a day ahead, or freeze if longer. If you’re using shrimp or fish, separate the shells/skin for the stock and reserve the rest.

2. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a 2-3 quart pot that can hold the shells. Sauté the shells in the butter for about 5 minutes, until they are slightly browned and fragrant. Then add your aromatics — halved shallot, garlic cloves, citrus peels, and bay leaf — and any fish scraps you have (salmon skin) and cover with the fish stock and extra water. Bring to a boil, then keep at a low simmer for about an hour. Replenish with water as necessary.

3. Strain out the stock and set aside. This can be refrigerated for a couple days. Wash out the pot.

4. Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the remaining butter, minced shallots, diced celery, tomato paste, and tomato purée. Cook until the shallots and celery have softened and tomato has caramelized a bit. Add the hot sauce and sherry and cook off the alcohol.

5. Add the cooked rice. Add your reserved stock and any additional water if necessary. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. With an immersion or high-speed blender, blend the soup until it’s very smooth. Strain into a bowl and add back into the pot, blending again if necessary.

7. Add the heavy cream and cook for 5 minutes. Salt to taste.

8. Right before you serve, chop your lobster meat (or shrimp or fish) and add to the pot, warming it through.