Creamy Lobster Bisque

Ingredients:
2 1-pound live lobsters
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 large celery stalk, sliced
1 small carrot, sliced
1 garlic head, cut in half crosswise
1 tomato, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
8 whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup dry Sherry
4 cups fish stock, lobster stock or bottled clam juice
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Preparation:
Bring large pot of water to boil. Add lobsters and cook completely, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobsters to large bowl. Reserve 2 cups cooking liquid. Cool lobsters.

Working over a large bowl to catch juices, remove the meat (mostly tails and claws) Coarsely chop lobster meat; cover and chill. Reserve juices from lobster in large bowl.
   
Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add onion and next 8 ingredients. Mix in brandy and Sherry. Boil until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add fish stock, reserved 2 cups lobster cooking liquid and lobster juices. Simmer 1 hour.

Strain soup through sieve set over large saucepan, pressing firmly on solids. Whisk tomato paste into soup. Simmer until soup is reduced to 3 cups, about 15 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Add cream to soup and simmer 5 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water. Add to soup and boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Mix lobster meat into soup and stir to heat through. Ladle soup into bowls.

Makes 6 servings

Recipe created and submitted by Adam Acosta.