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Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Lobster and Brie Bisque

Ingredients

2 1 ½-pound lobsters, cooked and cleaned (reserve meat for soup and shells for stock)
1 cup white wine
½ gallon lobster stock*
1 cup tomato paste
2 cups whipping cream
1 bay leaf
1 pound brie, rind removed and cubed
½ teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
¼ cup butter
⅓ cup flour
½ cup sour cream
2–3 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

Instructions

In a large saucepan, bring the lobster stock, white wine, and tomato paste to a boil. Continue to cook, allowing stock to reduce by half.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler, heat the cream and cheese together until the cheese has melted.

In a medium-size skillet, heat the butter and add flour to make a blond roux. Once stock has reduced, add cream and cheese mixture to the stock. Add roux and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add reserved lobster meat. Place sour cream in a squirt bottle. Ladle soup into serving bowls and decorate the top with thin ribbons of sour cream and freshly chopped chives.

*To make lobster stock, follow the same procedure and recipe for shrimp stock. It is important to clean the lobster bodies well to remove organs and gills prior to making the stock.

Yield: 3 quarts

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