We cooked them simply by boiling them with some carrots, celery and seasoning before serving them with homemade mayonnaise. But the indulgence didn’t end there.
I then spent the next three days making lobster bisque with the carcasses and stock. You may think this is excessive. And it probably is. But it produced 2009’s tastiest mug of food.
After we had finished our lobsters I put them all in a roasting tray and blasted them in a hot oven for 20 minutes having splashed them with cognac. The smell that exploded out of the oven when they emerged transported me to Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant.
I reduced the lobster stock and then added the carcasses along with several bay leaves, some chopped onions, a splash of Worcesershire sauce, a dash of Tobasco, carrots and celery. I wasn’t following a recipe, so it was all done by feel. This bubbled away for several hours. And the longer it cooked the darker the liquid became. I let it cool over night and rest for a day in the fridge before straining it to create a fine stock and bringing back to a simmer. By the time it had burbled away for a further 6 hours it had turned brick red and was smelling very sophisticated. Playing scrabble with a soundscape of bubbling bisque and the waft of lobster is one of my favourite food memories of the year. But I’m still furious that “zion” on a triple word score got blocked.
With half an hour to go before dinner, I added two tubes of tomato paste, a pint of double cream and a glass of Martini. After a further 20 minutes of simmering it looked like proper bisque. I checked the seasoning and then served in mugs to 10 people with a swirl of double cream, some finely chopped parsley and a drizzle of lemon juice.
The photos don’t really do it justice. I don’t think anything could. There was something very fin de siècle about the way we guzzled it from a range of erratic, rustic mugs, like you would do with a tin of Heinz Cream of Tomato. Who needs rouille, croutons and gruyere when the base bisque is so good?
10 comments:
Another excellent recipe, well done that man! It is more than a tad irksome that lobster goes for loony prices here in London; I want to eat them more often than I can afford.
In New York I was introduced to the lobster roll. This is lobster meat mixed with the very best fresh mayonnaise and served in a toasted (or slightly fried) brioche bun. A brilliant and simple preparation which really shows the loveliness of lobster meat. I want one now!
@David - Ah... the Lobster Roll. I am looking for London's best version at the moment. If you have any clues about where one can be found, please let me know.
What a great looking bisque....may I share your blog link on my Facebook?
@Pierce - Of course you can.
Correction the photos do it justice my friend! sitting by the sea with a cup of bisque is perfect, or not by the sea just give me lobster bisque.
@natural selection - Thanks! Glad you like the idea of Irish Lobster Bisque. I'm yearning for it right now.
You're using up leftovers to make a second meal, so this actually counts as thrifty cooking doesn't it? It looks like a bloody good mug of soup.
@GinandCrumpets - Indeed. A thrifty lobster broth! I like it.
This actually made my stomach audibly gurgle and I am not joking. Amazing.
@Helen - Gurgling in a good way I hope! Good old bisque. It worked wonders.
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