Recipe: Lobster and Tomato Bisque
Page: 66
Date Cooked: October 29, 2012
Though I enjoy lobster bisque, I tend to find the dish to be a bit on the heavy side. This recipe tries to balance the heaviness of a typical lobster bisque with the inclusion of tomatoes - both red and yellow.
I brought a large pot of water to a boil and steamed the lobster for 10 minutes. I removed the lobster, let it cool, extracted the meat, and reserved the shells. I also reserved the cooking liquid. I diced the lobster meat and placed it in the fridge.
This recipe required making two tomato soups - red and yellow. I first prepared the red tomato soup. I put the lobster shells in saucepan along with olive oil, minced red onion, and minced garlic. I sauteed the mixture for a few minutes. I then added the diced red tomato, white wine, and reserved lobster liquid to the saucepan.
The soup simmered for 45 minutes. I strained the mixture into another saucepan and stirred in the cream and diced lobster meat; and seasoned with salt and pepper. Quick note: the redness of the soup was incredibly apparent before the addition of the cream, which later turned it a red-orange color.
Then it was on the yellow tomato soup. I diced the onion, yellow bell peppers, and yellow tomatoes. I sauteed the onion and remaining garlic with olive oil in a saucepan. I then added the yellow bell pepper and tomatoes to the mixture and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes.
I then strained the soup into another bowl and seasoned it with salt and pepper. Again, here the yellow color of the soup was apparent and quite striking.
This bisque can be served hot or cold. I opted for the hot version and reheated both components. It was upon plating that I realized the error in Jonathan Waxman's instructions. He says to divide the yellow soup into bowls and swirl in the red soup, making a decorative pattern. However, there was much more red tomato soup than yellow. Furthermore, the picture in the book seems to indicate pieces of red tomato in the soup, which doesn't make much sense - because he instructs you to strain both soups.
Given the discrepancies of the cookbook, I had to change my plating plan. I divided the red tomato soup into bowls and swirled in the yellow tomato soup. The color differential isn't as stark as the picture in the book, but I think much of that has to do with the addition of the cream as well.
If you look closely, you can see the yellow tomato soup swirled in there. Aside from the picture and instruction discrepancy, the soup was good. I enjoyed the acidity of the tomatoes and bell peppers in the bisque, which both lightened and brightened a typically rich soup. The flavors worked, but it wasn't the best lobster bisque I've had. I felt that a better soup could have been made with those ingredients. I guess I am a bit iffy on the final verdict of the this recipe. Good but maybe not worth all the fuss. However, I may make the yellow tomato soup portion again - it just looked so beautiful.
Page: 66
Date Cooked: October 29, 2012
Though I enjoy lobster bisque, I tend to find the dish to be a bit on the heavy side. This recipe tries to balance the heaviness of a typical lobster bisque with the inclusion of tomatoes - both red and yellow.
 |
| Ingredients: Lobster, red onion, garlic olive oil, red tomatoes, dry white wine, heavy cream, onion, yellow tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, salt, and pepper |
I brought a large pot of water to a boil and steamed the lobster for 10 minutes. I removed the lobster, let it cool, extracted the meat, and reserved the shells. I also reserved the cooking liquid. I diced the lobster meat and placed it in the fridge.
 |
| Steamed lobster |
This recipe required making two tomato soups - red and yellow. I first prepared the red tomato soup. I put the lobster shells in saucepan along with olive oil, minced red onion, and minced garlic. I sauteed the mixture for a few minutes. I then added the diced red tomato, white wine, and reserved lobster liquid to the saucepan.
 |
| Basis of lobster and red tomato soup |
The soup simmered for 45 minutes. I strained the mixture into another saucepan and stirred in the cream and diced lobster meat; and seasoned with salt and pepper. Quick note: the redness of the soup was incredibly apparent before the addition of the cream, which later turned it a red-orange color.
 |
| Left: Lobster and red tomato soup Right: Lobster and red tomato soup with cream and lobster |
Then it was on the yellow tomato soup. I diced the onion, yellow bell peppers, and yellow tomatoes. I sauteed the onion and remaining garlic with olive oil in a saucepan. I then added the yellow bell pepper and tomatoes to the mixture and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes.
 |
| Prepping the yellow tomato soup |
I then strained the soup into another bowl and seasoned it with salt and pepper. Again, here the yellow color of the soup was apparent and quite striking.
 |
| Yellow tomato soup |
This bisque can be served hot or cold. I opted for the hot version and reheated both components. It was upon plating that I realized the error in Jonathan Waxman's instructions. He says to divide the yellow soup into bowls and swirl in the red soup, making a decorative pattern. However, there was much more red tomato soup than yellow. Furthermore, the picture in the book seems to indicate pieces of red tomato in the soup, which doesn't make much sense - because he instructs you to strain both soups.
 |
| Jonathan Waxman's stock photo of the lobster and tomato bisque |
Given the discrepancies of the cookbook, I had to change my plating plan. I divided the red tomato soup into bowls and swirled in the yellow tomato soup. The color differential isn't as stark as the picture in the book, but I think much of that has to do with the addition of the cream as well.
 |
| Lobster and Tomato Bisque |
If you look closely, you can see the yellow tomato soup swirled in there. Aside from the picture and instruction discrepancy, the soup was good. I enjoyed the acidity of the tomatoes and bell peppers in the bisque, which both lightened and brightened a typically rich soup. The flavors worked, but it wasn't the best lobster bisque I've had. I felt that a better soup could have been made with those ingredients. I guess I am a bit iffy on the final verdict of the this recipe. Good but maybe not worth all the fuss. However, I may make the yellow tomato soup portion again - it just looked so beautiful.
Enjoy!
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