Twice-Strained Lobster Bisque

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A restaurant-grade bisque built entirely from the shells of frozen lobster tails — roasted, simmered with tomato, brandy and aromatics, then strained twice for a velvety, glossy soup. The poached tail meat goes in at the end as a garnish, so nothing is wasted and every spoonful tastes like the whole lobster.

Ingredients

• 4 frozen lobster tails (5-6 oz each), thawed overnight in the fridge
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, for poaching the meat

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped (optional but excellent)
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup brandy or Cognac
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 can (14.5 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 6 cups water or low-sodium seafood stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 pinch saffron threads (optional)

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp sherry (dry or medium), plus more to taste
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• to taste kosher salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives or tarragon, for serving

Instructions

1. Thaw the lobster tails fully (overnight in the refrigerator, or 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water). Pat dry. Using kitchen shears, cut down the center of the top shell from the wide end to the tail fan. Pry the shell open with your thumbs and lift the meat out in one piece, keeping the shells — including the fan and any small legs — completely intact. Refrigerate the meat, covered, and reserve every scrap of shell.
2. Heat the oven to 400°F. Spread the shells on a rimmed baking sheet and roast 20 minutes, until deep red-orange and intensely aromatic. This roasting step is where most of the bisque's flavor comes from — do not skip it. Break the shells into 1-inch pieces with the back of a heavy spoon or your hands.
3. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add onion, carrot, celery, fennel and garlic and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly browned at the edges. Add the roasted shells and any juices from the sheet pan and cook 2 minutes more.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 3 minutes, scraping constantly, until it darkens to brick red and coats the shells. Off heat, add the brandy, return to medium-high and simmer 2 minutes, scraping the bottom, until the alcohol smell is gone and the liquid is nearly dry.
5. Pour in the white wine and reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, water or seafood stock, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns and saffron. Bring to a bare simmer, then cook uncovered at a gentle bubble for 45 minutes. Do not boil hard — aggressive boiling turns shell stock bitter and cloudy.
6. While the stock simmers, poach the lobster meat: melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over low heat with 2 tablespoons water until creamy. Add the tail meat and cook very gently, turning every 2 minutes, for 6-8 minutes total, until just opaque throughout and an instant-read thermometer reads 135-140°F. Transfer to a plate, cool, then cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Save the buttery skillet liquid — it goes into the soup.
7. First strain: set a colander over a large bowl and pour the stock through it. Press hard on the solids with a ladle or potato masher to extract everything, then discard the shells and vegetables. You should have about 5 cups of deeply colored broth.
8. Second strain: rinse the pot, then pour the broth back through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of damp cheesecloth (or a coffee filter, in batches) directly into the clean pot. Let it drip through without pressing — this is what makes the bisque silky rather than gritty. If you want extra body first, blend 1 cup of the broth with a few of the softest cooked vegetables before this final strain.
9. Make the roux in a separate saucepan: melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook 2-3 minutes until it smells nutty and looks pale gold. Ladle in about 2 cups of the hot strained stock a little at a time, whisking smooth after each addition, then pour this mixture back into the pot with the remaining stock.
10. Bring to a low simmer, whisking, and cook 10 minutes until the bisque lightly coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the heavy cream, the reserved lobster poaching butter, the sherry, lemon juice, cayenne and salt to taste. Warm through for 5 minutes but do not boil once the cream is in.
11. Divide the lobster chunks among four warm bowls. Ladle the bisque over the meat so it heats through without overcooking, then finish with a few drops of sherry, a drizzle of cream and the chopped chives or tarragon. Serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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