Anna's Family Kitchen was inspired by my love of food and desire to feed my family healthy, home cooked wholesome meals that are beautifully presented and appealing but don’t require hours of prep in the kitchen.
Lobster Bisque
This is another recipe I created for Aldi using it’s new seafood range. There’s nothing more decadent than Lobster Bisque. Traditionally, lobster bisque is made with a stock made of whole lobster shells. My cheats version, using Aldi’s precooked lobster or lobster tails, makes the perfect Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve starter. Ready in less than hour, start by making a “mirepoix” (softened onion, carrot & celery) then the shell and fish stock are added together with cream to make a robust and rich soup. It is of course finished with the cooked lobster and served with plenty of crusty bread for dipping!
Serves: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Difficulty: easy
INGREDIENTS
2 whole lobsters or 4 lobster tails, flesh removed and shells reserved
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
2 tsp chopped tarragon
1 tsp chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato puree
3 tbsp plain flour
200ml dry white wine
1 litre fish stock
150ml double cream
Add the lobster shells to a pan and cover with 500ml water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Strain through a sieve over a jug reserving the lobster stock.
Chop the lobster meat into bite-sized pieces.
Heat 2 tbsp butter and the oil in a large pan. Add the onions, carrots, celery, 2 crushed garlic cloves, the thyme & tarragon. Soften on a low heat for 10 minutes. Season.
Stir in the tomato puree, cayenne and flour then whisk in the wine removing any flour lumps.
Stir in lobster & fish stock. Season with ½ tsp salt and 6 grinds of black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes before cooling slightly. Blitz the Bisque until smooth. (This can then be refrigerated for up to 2 days if you wish to make it ahead).
Reheat the bisque and stir in the cream.
Melt 2 tbsp butter and 2 crushed garlic cloves in a pan and add the lobster meat. Season.
Pour the Bisque into bowls and top each with the lobster meat finished with some chopped chives.
