Lobster Bisque

Lobster Bisque.

How do I love thee? I could count the ways, but it would be much easier to just say that you might just be the perfect soup.

Honestly, a good lobster bisque is such a wonderful treat. I love how the smooth, velvety soup is broken up only by chunks of yummy, sweet lobster. This is definitely a special occasion soup in our house, although this last time I made it I wondered why we didn't allow ourselves to enjoy it more often. Hence the one and only New Year's Resolution I have this year - make more lobster bisque!

I've done my best to post my recipe here. I've been making this soup for years and have never before written it down, because I do my best cooking by taste rather than precise measurements. Somehow even though I've never followed a recipe this soup always comes out tasting the same...must be magic! But when making it earlier this week I decided to finally jot down the steps, so I could post it here and hopefully encourage others to try it too. Or you could just come over and let me make it for you, helping me fulfill my New Year's Resolution of course :)

Oh, and the best part about this soup (other than the taste, of course)? Even though it sounds fancy, other than the lobster tails the rest of the ingredients are very basic, probably things you already have in your kitchen. There - now you have NO excuse not to indulge!

Ingredients

2 lobster tails
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp. chicken bouillon

Shrimp and/or crab shells, optional *see note*
2 tsp. olive oil
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup half-and-half
2 green onions, chopped

* If I have them handy (they aren't absolutely necessary), I like to add discarded shrimp or crab shells at this step, to enhance the seafood flavor of the broth. I made this on New Year's, and hit the jackpot because we had both shrimp and crab legs a few days before, so I had lots of extra shells to add.

Directions

1. Place lobster tails in a medium sauce pan. Cover with water (about 4-6 cups), and add bay leaf, Old Bay, chicken bouillon, and seafood shells (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until lobster tails are bright red and start to curl up. Strain the broth through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard all solids except for lobster tails.

2. Place lobster tails on a cutting board. Split with a knife, remove the meat, and chop meat into small pieces. Reserve shells.

3 . Meanwhile, in a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring to incorporate onto the vegetables. Pour in clam juice, the lobster broth, reserved lobster tail shells, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, season again with salt and pepper, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine strainer into a large bowl, then return to the stockpot. Discard all solids (or, if you are like my husband and can't bear for food to go to waste, you can pick out the lobster shells and eat the vegetables, ha). Bring broth back up to low boil over medium-high heat.

4. In a saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook 1 minute. Slowly add half-and-half, whisking constantly. Once mixture is thoroughly combined, thick and creamy, stir into broth, whisking constantly.
*Note: After this, if your soup isn't as thick as you would like, just create another roux by combining 1 Tbsp. melted butter and 1 Tbsp. flour in a sauce pan. Whisk together then stir directly into soup - this will thicken it a little more!

5. Remove bisque from heat and stir in lobster meat and green onions. Serve warm with crusty bread for dipping. Perfection!

Shrimp Rolls

I've been craving seafood lately, especially shellfish. And since it seems as though we only enjoy shrimp two ways - in tacos or in pasta - I decided to come up with something a little different this week. These sandwiches, loosely based on a lobster roll, were fabulous. For never having made something like this before, I was surprised at how great the shrimp mixture turned out(it would be great on crackers as an appetizer too!), and these were a perfect meal to be enjoyed on a hot summer evening.

Ingredients

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt (or Old Bay)
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh crab meat (optional)
4 sandwich rolls
A few pinches of dried dill weed

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine shrimp, seasoned salt, chili powder, and paprika. Mix well. heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the shrimp. Cook, stirring frequently, until pink and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the shrimp from pan and reserve any remaining liquid/butter from the pan. Cut shrimp in half and let cool slightly.

2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, celery salt, green onion and crab meat (I had some snow crab that I removed from the shell and used for this; not necessary but I love crab and it did add great flavor!). Stir in cooled shrimp. Let rest in the refirgerator at least 30 minutes.

3. Preheat broiler. Cut a v-shaped slit in the top of each sandwich roll and remove the top. Scrape out any excess bread from the center. Brush the inside of the rolls with the reserved shrimp butter, and sprinkle with dill weed. Broil 2-3 minutes until butter melts and bread begins to crisp.

4. To serve, stuff rolls with the shrimp mixture. Enjoy!

Scallops with Angel Hair

I had this recipe hand-written on a scrap of paper sitting in my recipe pile forever, so I have no idea where it came from but I suppose that's okay since I made quite a few changes anyway. It was a nice, light pasta, easy to put together and it makes me happy that I got to use scallops because I love those little guys!

Scallops with Angel Hair

Ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 lb. bay scallops
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
3 tsp. cornstarch
3 tsp. water
8 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
1/4 cup minced fresh parsely
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. sliced green onions

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook scallops in 1 tsp. olive oil over mediume heat until firm and opaque. Remove and keep warm.

2. In the same skillet, saute onion in remaining 1 tsp. oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 min longer. Stir in the roasted red pepper, broth, wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Gradually stir into pan. Cook and stir 2 minutes until sauce thickens.

3. Stir in cooked angel hair and parsley; mix well. Place pasta on serving plates and sprinkle with Parmesan and green onions.

A Tale of Two Chowders

I like the New England white. Adam likes the Manhattan red. Instead of having to compromise, Chowder Night in our house often just features both.

Kirsten's Clam Chowder

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 cups cubed red potatoes
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cans minced clams
1 bottle clam juice
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half (can also use fat-free)

Directions

1. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and celery and saute 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Drain the juice from the minced clams over the vegetables and set the clams aside. Add clam juice, chicken broth, water, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.

2. In a large saucepan, melt 3/4 cup butter. Whisk in flour until smooth. Add half-and-half gradually, stirring constantly until thick.

3. Add hlaf-and-half mixture to the soup. Whisk to combine and heat through until thickened, but do not boil. Stir in clams just before serving.

* * *

Fire-Roasted Manhattan Clam Chowder
from Everyday with Rachael Ray

Ingredients

6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery with leafy greens, stalks and leaves finely chopped separately
1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped
One 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
One 14.5-ounce can chicken broth
Two 10-ounce cans baby clams or chopped clams packed in water, liquid reserved
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders, about 6 minutes; discard the fat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and celery stalks and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the potato, the tomatoes and their juice and the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Stir in the clams with their liquid and cook to warm through. Stir in the chopped celery leaves and season with salt and pepper.