The sights, sounds and aromas of the Free Press Food & Wine Experience are still swirling around in my head. And the edibles prepared and presented by many metro Detroit restaurants are tantalizing my taste buds.
Although, I must say, being on stage to introduce domestic diva Martha Stewart as well as celebrity TV chef Graham Elloit was a huge highlight for me.
At the event, there was no shortage of delicious food. The pork belly sliders from Wright & Co. were a favorite; I confess, I ate three. The steak tartare from Prime + Proper served on a toasted baguette slice was cool and crisp. I headed back for seconds of Parc’s tuna tartare on homemade chips and Eatoria’s mussels in a flavorful broth.
And while the temperatures were in the 80s, the squash soup served with a wild pepper choux bun stuffed with Parmigiano Reggiano mousse was deliciously refreshing.
From one of the cooking stage demonstrations was Grey Ghost chef and co-owner John Vermiglio’s lobster and corn bisque. I missed the demo, but sampled the bisque. The bisque was the final food act that sent me home plenty full.
Vermiglio’s version of this bisque was ultra-creamy with pieces of tender lobster and bits of corn. There was a subtle hint of spice balanced with some sweetness. For crunch, he added popcorn. While the popcorn wasn’t my favorite part, the bisque reminded me of how much I enjoy lobster in just about anything. My nephew, Cameron, once told me he has a separate stomach for dessert. I think I have one for lobster.
Several years ago, after experimenting with several recipes and methods, I came up with my own version of lobster bisque.
One method I settled on for bisque, defined as a thick rich soup typically made with heavy cream, is roasting the seafood shells. Also, I always use saffron.
Once the lobster is cooked, I remove the meat from the shells and let it cool. I take the reserved shells and roast or sauté them, extracting even more flavor. After roasting, the shells are simmered in water to create a seafood stock, and used as a base for the bisque. It may seem like a lot of work, but all this can be done in advance.
Plenty of lobster bisque recipes use the whole lobster to yield the claw and tail meats. Today’s recipes use only the tails because that’s what I typically have tucked away in the freezer.
The spice saffron used often with lobster because the two complement one another. Brace yourself, saffron is known as the world’s most expensive spice. But it’s highly aromatic and packed with flavor so a little goes a long way.
Saffron comes from Spain and India and is the stigmas from the purple crocus. The flavor of saffron is sometimes described as semi-sweet, which is why it goes well with lobster, and its aroma floral. What makes it so pricey is the stigmas must be handpicked. To make an ounce of saffron, more than 14,000 stigmas need to be picked. Saffron looks like a tangled mess of threads. A small amount goes for about $11, but you’ll only need a pinch.
Today’s recipe is one from the Free Press archives; I developed it a few years back. You can cook the lobster and make the stock in advance.
Lobster Bisque
Makes: About 8 cups
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Total time: 2 hours (not all active time)
I used no-salt-added diced tomatoes and tomato paste because of the salt in the stock.
3 lobster tails
4 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups white wine
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 large shallot, peeled, chopped
1 tablespoon no-salt-added tomato paste
1 can (14 ounces) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 to 3 tablespoons sherry
1/2 teaspoon (a good pinch) of saffron threads
1/2 to 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Croutons for serving
Cut each tail in half, lengthwise (using scissors works best). In a large pot with a steamer basket place the water and stir in the kosher salt. Heat the water over medium-high heat. Add the halved lobster tails and steam for about 7 minutes. Remove the tails and reserve the water for the stock.
Once the tails are cooled, remove the meat from the shell, chop it coarsely and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the lobster shells for about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, bringing it to a boil and reducing until most of the wine has evaporated. Transfer the mixture (shells and all) to the reserved lobster water. Add the vegetable or chicken broth and simmer about 45 minutes. Strain out the shells and discard them; reserve the stock.
Meanwhile, in the same skillet, heat the butter. Add celery and shallots and sauté until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook it a few minutes. Stir in the sherry and cook until it almost evaporates. Add the strained seafood stock, tomatoes and a good pinch of saffron; simmer 45 minutes.
Purée the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer the mixture, in batches if needed, to a blender. Return to the skillet and stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream; heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add more cream to reach desired consistency.
Just before you are ready to serve, heat the lobster chunks in a skillet with a little bit of butter. Place the chunks in serving cup or bowl and ladle in the bisque. Top with croutons if desired.
From and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
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