Langoustine Bisque Recipes

LANGOUSTINE BISQUE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
• Very lightly roast the langoustine shells in the oven for 5-10 minutes - you just want the shells to start to become fragrant and get a very light golden hue.
• Meanwhile, put a large pot over a medium heat and add the butter. When warm, add the garlic, shallots, herbs and spices and sweat until the shallot is soft.
• Add the lightly roasted shells to the pan and crush with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much flavour as possible.
• Add the vermouth and brandy to deglaze the pan. Turn up the heat and reduce by ½.
• Stir in the tomato purée. Then add the stock and simmer for about an hour. (You want to be left with just under 1ltr of stock.)
• When it's done, strain the liquid - I use a mouli grater and crush the shells as I pass it, but you can also pass the mix through a colander, using a rolling pin to smash all the juice and other tasty morsels through the holes. After that, pass through a chinois or fine sieve.
• Return the liquid to the heat in a small pan and add the cream. Bring up to a gentle simmer. Check the seasoning and add a squeeze of lemon, if you like.
• Pour into bowls and serve immediately.

LANGOSTINO BISQUE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a medium pot, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots. Sauté 5 - 6 minutes, until onions just begin to soften.
• Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, salt and pepper to the pot. Sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Sprinkle 4 tbsp flour into pot and stir to combine. Cook flour mixture 2 - 3 minutes.
• Add seafood stock, wine, sherry (if using), paprika and bay leaves. Cover and turn heat down to medium low.
• Simmer for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are completely soft. Remove bay leaves.
• Carefully ladle soup into blender and purée until smooth. Add cream to blender and purée for a few seconds to blend in the cream.
• Pour into bowls, top with langostinos and finely chopped chives. Serve immediately.

LANGOUSTINE BISQUE

Steps:

• Chop up 1 c of Langoustine.
• Reserve the rest Melt butter in soup pot.
• Saute the minced shallots for a few minutes.
• Add the chopped Langoustine.
• Stir in the flour until smooth.
• Cook for a minute stirring constantly.
• Lower heat to simmer.
• Gradually add sherry, continuing to stir, then gradually add milk as well, whisking til smooth.
• Heat the soup on medium low, but do NOT bring to a boil.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Stir in the langoustine and cook until heated through.

SPECIAL LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper and celery salt until well blended. Gradually stir in the milk so that no lumps form, and then stir in the chicken stock. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the soup begins to thicken. Add the onion and lobster; season with paprika. Cook and stir for 10 more minutes. Stir in the cream, heat through and serve.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Boil water, add salt followed by Lobster, boil for 6 minutes. Remove lobster from water with tongs and place in cold water to cool. Reserve cooking liquid, this is your fish stock. If opting to use a ready cooked lobster you can substitute with other fish stock from a cube.
• Once cool enough to handle, place lobster on its back and with a chefs knife, cut the lobster from underneath, all the way from the tail to the head. Rinse away any tomally from the head cavities. Remove and refrigerate claw and tail meat.
• Heat 25 g. of the butter in your soup pot. Add the crushed lobster shells. Each piece should be not more than roughly 1 square inch. All pieces should be in contact with the butter, fry at medium high heat for 5 minutes until colour and smell is maximised.
• Deglaze the pot with the white wine, leaving the shells in the pot. Add the parsley, reserved salted boiling water and the chicken stock. Leave to boil slowly for 45 minutes. Place a lid on the pot after half the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, prep your veg and sautee in the rest of the butter. Once the stock is ready, drain the stock, taking care to remove any shell and parsley. Add the stock to the vegetables with the Thyme, Bayleaf, Tomato Pure, Brandy and Sherry. Boil slowly under a lid for another 45 minutes.
• When ready to serve, blend the bisque, add cream and reheat. Heat a tiny knob of butter with half the lemon juice in a pan, add the reserved lobster meat, fry over a moderate heat for 1 minutes. Add the rest of the lemon juice to the bisque. Place the lobster meat in a heated soup bowl and serve the bisque in front of the guest for added drama.